Malls In California Are Sending License Plate Information To ICE (theweek.com)

Presto Vivace shares a report from The Week with the caption, "And they wonder why some of us prefer to shop online." From the report: Surveillance systems at more than 46 malls in California are capturing license plate information that is fed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Electronic Frontier Foundation reported Tuesday. One company, Irvine Company Retail Properties, operates malls all over the state using a security network called Vigilant Solutions. Vigilant shares data with hundreds of law enforcement agencies, insurance companies, and debt collectors -- including ICE, which signed a contract with the security company earlier this year, reports The Verge. "[Irvine Company] is putting not only immigrants at risk, but invading the privacy of its customers by allowing a third-party to hold onto their data indefinitely," EFF wrote in its report, urging the chain of malls to stop providing information to ICE.

Comments

Re:Invading privacy?

[Anonymous Coward]

The purpose of the license plate is to identify you if there's a problem with your driving or with your parking spot. Tracking everyone is abuse.

private property is not a public highway

[aurizon]

There is no need to display your licence number when on private property, so a dash activated hinged flap could be used to hide plate data. They could snap plate data on the way into the mall, but that could involve placing the camera on someone else's private property - who might decline permission.
That said, I do not mind plate scanners being use to find stolen cars or payment defaulted cars (3 months arrears minimum)

Re:Invading privacy?

[Moryath]

This. The government is required to have a warrant to track your whereabouts. This is well established through cases such as United States v. Jones 132 S.Ct. 945 (2012) where police tried to surreptitiously attach a GPS tracker to someone's car without a warrant, and Carpenter v. United States 16-402 S.Ct 585 (2017) which established that police require a warrant to obtain cellphone tower records.

Re:Invading privacy?

[houghi]

I always notice how there is a different interpretation what privacy is in the US and in Europe. (Not sure about what others think.)

In Europe everything is private, unless it is public. In the US everything is public, except when it is private. Bit like the difference between opt in and opt out.

I think it is invasion of the privacy. If you had a privacy law as they have in Europe, you would see that this IS an invasion of privacy.

What many people worldwide do not realize is that privacy is such a fundamental law that it is taken as a given. Without it all the other laws and rights are useless.
It is also like virginity. Once you have list it, it can not be put back and if it is taken from you by somedy else, it is a very bad thing.

Allowing this will make people docile for further raping of your privacy.

Re: Invading privacy?

[Khyber]

"Acktuallyy"

That's a typical Russian misspelling. Ivan needs to send your sorry ass back to English school.

Re:Invading privacy?

[HornWumpus]

Every tire sold in the USA for 10 years has had an embedded RFID.

Once they correlate those to your license number, it's over.

But what do you care? You carry a personal spying device in your pocket.

BTW repo men spend all day driving the streets/parking lots and automatically reading and recording every license number they pass.

I'm considering just collecting a large bag of RFIDs and storing them inside a fender liner. That or a spark gap generator hooked to the ignition.

I understand a ring of bright UV LEDs in a license plate frame will prevent most CCD cameras from getting readable data.

Re:Invading privacy?

[swillden]

I *want* illegals to be reported and kicked out of the country

Is it important that they be reported and kicked out, or would you be okay if they just left on their own?

If the latter, then here's a better solution for you: Let's impose heavy fines on any American business who employs an illegal immigrant without validating them via e-verify, and significant jail time for American who does so knowingly. Also, let's offer permanent residency (a green card) to any illegal alien who rats out their boss.

Illegals will instantly become unemployable. Very few green cards will be handed out. With the economic motive for staying in the US removed, the vast majority of illegals will leave. No Orwellian tracking required.