I watched as an unmarked car, outfitted for license plate scanning (4 cameras, 2 on each side, inside the car, windows down) drove around our local walmart and scanned every car parked there. I contacted our local PD and asked if it was theirs. They said that they do have scanning cars, but that the description I gave didn't match theirs, nor the county's.
Certainly, scanning license plates en masse will reveal registration violations, as well as possible warrants. But I'm not sure I'm OK with gathering data in that fashion. I understand that protection comes at a cost, but at what point does the cost become too high? What level of privacy are we willing to give up, in order to feel safe? Do we just chuck it all?
It would have been one thing if it was a marked, identifiable vehicle driving around. It would be one thing if there was a way to guarantee that the PD wasn't storing the information (only checking it in realtime.) But an unmarked vehicle, and a PD that can't guarantee what they're doing with the information... at that point, I believe the price is too high.
I watched as an unmarked car, outfitted for license plate scanning (4 cameras, 2 on each side, inside the car, windows down) drove around our local walmart and scanned every car parked there. I contacted our local PD and asked if it was theirs. They said that they do have scanning cars, but that the description I gave didn't match theirs, nor the county's.
I'm sure the police already have records of that information - If not, they can contact the local DMV. So your information on whether your car is registered isn't really private, and they aren't really seeing anything that isn't easily knowable. By law, your car's license plates are there on display for everyone to see, and that's the way it has been for a very long time. I'm not sure I really see much of a privacy violation here.
Certainly, scanning license plates en masse will reveal registration violations, as well as possible warrants. But I'm not sure I'm OK with gathering data in that fashion. I understand that protection comes at a cost,
but at what point does the cost become too high? What level of privacy are we
willing to give up, in order to feel safe? Do we just chuck it all?
It was more than likely a repo company.I guarantee 100% it was. We have a guy that comes into our shop for oil changes that drives a car just like that. He works for repo companies.
could be they were looking for a specific car, OR cars that have plates from other vehicles on them. that is a big problem in my area.
It was more than likely a repo company.
knowable. By law, your car's license plates are there on display for everyo to see, and that's the way it has been for a very long time. I'm not sure I really see much of a privacy violation here.
point of groping people now), has gone WAY too far. I used to think that hav the airport security was bad enough, never would have imagined that it could have gotten as bad as it does now.
The police certainly have my plate number associated with my personal info, they're the ones with the database. The issue is movement tracking, behavior tracking, and the like. They certainly should not have a database of where I go, times of day when I drive, etc. That's the kind of data that can be extracted from plate tracking.
could be they were looking for a specific car, OR cars that have plates
from
other vehicles on them. that is a big problem in my area.
I've seen people selling license plates (with valid tags) on OfferUp and sometimes on Craigslist. I thought that was illegal, but apparently
people (at least in my state) are allowed to buy license plates from someone else and register them for their car.
It would have been one thing if it was a marked, identifiable vehicle driving around. It would be one thing if there was a way to guarantee
that the PD wasn't storing the information (only checking it in
realtime.) But an unmarked vehicle, and a PD that can't guarantee what they're doing with the information... at that point, I believe the price
is too high.
As for the scanning I have no problem. I pay my car payments on time... If someone steals it (who would want it) I want it found.
tfurrows wrote to All <=-
Certainly, scanning license plates en masse will reveal registration violations, as well as possible warrants. But I'm not sure I'm OK with gathering data in that fashion. I understand that protection comes at a cost, but at what point does the cost become too high? What level of privacy are we willing to give up, in order to feel safe? Do we just
chuck it all?
It would have been one thing if it was a marked, identifiable vehicle driving around. It would be one thing if there was a way to guarantee
that the PD wasn't storing the information (only checking it in
realtime.) But an unmarked vehicle, and a PD that can't guarantee what they're doing with the information... at that point, I believe the
price is too high.
tfurrows wrote to Nightfox <=-
They certainly should not
have a database of where I go, times of day when I drive, etc. That's
the kind of data that can be extracted from plate tracking.
tfurrows wrote to jagossel <=-
I wonder, how far back would we have to go, describing how things are
now, before people would be entirely outraged. You take dystopian
novels of the past several decades ('1984' written in 1949 comes to
mind), and you can easily see what we're at today in them. Back then
they were outlandish, incredible; now the principles they hold are all
but ignore.
Poindexter Fortran wrote to tfurrows <=-
In the San Francisco bay area, the local transit authority rolled out
toll transponders called Fastrak, to let you drive through one of the several bridges without stopping to pay tolls.
Of course, we ONLY collect data at toll booths, and don't collect personally identifying information. Except they could mail you a toll violation...
If I'm not mistaken, Fastrak data has shown up in a court case and
used to refute an alibi. So much for not storing personally
identifyable information.
A class action suit was threatened, and the transit authority had to
send out an amended privacy policy and a mylar bag to store your toll transponder when not needed to pay tolls.
Poindexter Fortran wrote to tfurrows <=-
@VIA: VERT/REALITY
@TZ: 41e0
tfurrows wrote to All <=-
Certainly, scanning license plates en masse will reveal registration violations, as well as possible warrants. But I'm not sure I'm OK with gathering data in that fashion. I understand that protection comes at a cost, but at what point does the cost become too high? What level of privacy are we willing to give up, in order to feel safe? Do we just
chuck it all?
You'd need to chuck the constitution to accept it all -- or at least
the fourth amendment.
Many people seem to have done so.
It would have been one thing if it was a marked, identifiable vehicle driving around. It would be one thing if there was a way to guarantee
that the PD wasn't storing the information (only checking it in
realtime.) But an unmarked vehicle, and a PD that can't guarantee what they're doing with the information... at that point, I believe the
price is too high.
You're not alone.
Re: Surveillance
By: jagossel to tfurrows on Fri Jan 20 2017 01:40 am
point of groping people now), has gone WAY too far. I used to think that the airport security was bad enough, never would have imagined that it co have gotten as bad as it does now.
I wonder, how far back would we have to go, describing how things are now, before people would be entirely outraged. You take dystopian novels of the p several decades ('1984' written in 1949 comes to mind), and you can easily s what we're at today in them. Back then they were outlandish, incredible; now the principles they hold are all but ignore.
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