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Police Departments Using Car Tracking Database Sworn To Secrecy

Posted by timothy on from the you-swear-not-to-reveal-the-swearing-in dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Vigilant Solutions maintains what they claim is the nation's largest database of license-plate tracking data, 'LEARN' (Law Enforcement Archival and Reporting Network). But when a law enforcement agency signs up to use the database, they are sworn to keep it secret. The reason? They are quite clear about that: 'to prohibit users from cooperating with any media outlet to bring attention to LEARN or LEARN-NVLS.' So, they're tracking you (they're tracking everybody)... but they don't want you to know. The agreement, uncovered by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, states: You shall not create, publish, distribute, or permit any written, electronically transmitted or other form of publicity material that makes reference to LEARN or this Agreement without first submitting the material to LEARN-NVLS and receiving written consent from LEARN-NVLS. This prohibition is specifically intended to prohibit users from cooperating with any media outlet to bring attention to LEARN or LEARN-NVLS. Breach this provision may result in LEARN-NVLS immediately termination of this Agreement upon notice to you."

Immediately after WIRED published the story, though, the agreement mysteriously changed. The secrecy provision is still there, but the statement that it's 'specifically intended' to prevent the media attention has vanished."

9 of 202 comments (clear)

  1. Same exact issue with "stingray" cell interception by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    They sign extensive NDA's and "must" deny any and all usage of stingray cell phone "dummy tower" interception devices also - why?

    Probably because they have hidden legal ramifications that haven't been addressed. Why else?

  2. Hiding shady practices by stewsters · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The obvious answer is because it is probably illegal to track everyone everywhere, but as long as knowledge of this doesn't go to the court no one will know and therefore they cannot rule it illegal. That's sketchy.

  3. Severla months ago... by MouseTheLuckyDog · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I posted a story which did not get accepted about John Filippidis. A guy who had a concealed carry permit in Florida. He did own a gun, and left it at home when on a trip. Maryland police stopped him and detained him for a couple of hours for no reason.

    This was made possible be datamining efforts and automatic license scanneres.

    Very chilling.

    1. Re:Severla months ago... by PeeAitchPee · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The state refuses to stop spending more money each year than the last and is addicted to revenue like it's crack. According to Gallup, 67% percent of Marylanders think their state taxes are too high and 47% of them literally want to leave the state.

  4. Looks like by MitchDev · · Score: 4, Interesting

    a prime target for "Anonymous"....

  5. Cops not complaining about secrecy! by redelm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Please note, the cops probably _like_ the "restriction": When asked, it permits them to answer "It is illegal for us to comment", or to a judge "We cannot comment without violating our contractual agreements." People forget judicial privilige overrides contract.

    As as posted by another, the use of the database could violate some data-protection law saying "access to this DB is restricted to ongoing official police investigations". Not to stalk GFs! So LAPD has to make the bogus claim that all drivers in LA are under investigation. Otherwise, their use of the tag readers tied to the tag owner DB would be illegal. And everything found thereafter excluded from evidence as "fruit of the poisoned vine". Not something they want to contemplate.

  6. Hiding your tag while on private property by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Is it legal to hide your tag while on private property? What about privately owned, but publicly accessible property? I assume that it's legal to own a street-legal car even if it doesn't have tags, as long as its not driven on public streets. Therefore, I should be able to park my car in my driveway, hide the tag, and it would be perfectly legal. Can I do this in parking garages, or lots? If I park my car in the lot outside a shopping mall, and hide the tag, is that still legal? If it's legal, then what do you think is the likelihood that it will get towed?

  7. Re:Even more chilling by MightyYar · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I really detest this separation courts have setup between "private" corporations and the government. The government gives corporations their charter and is the only reason they exist in the first place. So we decide that we can't trust our elected officials with certain responsibilities, and so instead we give those same responsibilities to unelected owners. Oh, and those owners can then take that taxpayer money and funnel it right back to the elected officials in the form of legal "lobbying".

    The whole thing is batty.

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  8. Re:Same exact issue with "stingray" cell intercept by Geoffrey.landis · · Score: 3, Interesting

    They sign extensive NDA's and "must" deny any and all usage of stingray cell phone "dummy tower" interception devices also - why?

    Yep:
    http://www.wired.com/2014/03/s...
    http://www.wired.com/2014/03/h...

    or, if you prefer your news from /., there's this
    http://yro.slashdot.org/story/...

    --
    http://www.geoffreylandis.com