New Software Puts License Plate Scanners Into Citizens' Hands (arstechnica.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Automated license plate readers have become a serious point of contention between law enforcement and privacy-minded citizens. But the advance of technology might make it a moot point — with some open source software and a cheap webcam, anyone can now start cataloging the cars visiting their street. A two-man team developed OpenALPR and started distributing it for free, along with the source code. Law enforcement and the agencies that build their plate scanners have argued in favor of the legality of such data collection, so it's not like they can suddenly start cracking down on private citizens doing the same. "An enterprising person could even use a car-mounted camera and create a mobile plate hunting device along the lines of what many police agencies already use." Is this particular privacy fight one that's still winnable?

Comments

Re:Not the end of privacy

[rtb61]

Nah, why get all that fussed. Quite simply make it 'administratively illegal' and apply a fine for each and every incidence where substantive data capture and storage has occurred. Do it a few times who cares, do it a few hundreds times, a warning, do it a few thousands times, final warning and do it tens of thousands of times, no way that can be accidental, pay a fine per incidence. Same with any sane and sound privacy law. Seek to much and keep to much and when you get caught pay a fine per incidence, require a payment to the affected individuals and for repeat offenders mandate a custodial sentence.

Much like traffic offence you need to adjust punishments to real harm and according to the number of victims. So should M$ be prosecuted for Windows anal probe 10, especially when the forced elements of it into windows 7 without permission and forced upgrades to windows 10, of course, will corrupt governments do it, absolutely not because M$ is giving them a backdoor to allow it to continue to happen, not in every country.

To say that as a free person I no longer own my private self, is to say slavery is back and in full force and when it comes to your private self others, the elite, own it, up to and including direct physical sexual assault as witnessed at every American airport on a daily basis. Those are not air line passengers any more, they are slaves who are having their position in society, that of a slave with no right to a private physical self, reinforced. Keep in mind private jet, no search, not a slave,a member of the elite. Public transport, now that's for slaves who have no right to a private self, none at all, at an airport or in their own home.