UK License Plate Cameras Have "Gaps In Coverage" 283
Aguazul2 writes "UK police are sad that despite having the most comprehensive driver surveillance system of any developed country, there are still gaps in their coverage. From the article: 'The cameras automatically record plate/time/location information and send it to a central data store, which has complete nationwide records for 6 years.' Also interesting is that an unspecified 'particular driving style' can be used to evade detection by the cameras. It appears, however, that criminals are well aware of the cameras and take other routes. Big Brother technology, coming soon to a country near you!"
tick tock (Score:4, Insightful)
bit by bit, freedom is chipped away in the name of safety. I know I want no part of such a society.
Re:Not Gaps (Score:2, Insightful)
There is no national plan to cover the whole road network in these cameras yet
There, fixed that for you.
Burden of Proof? (Score:5, Insightful)
The world is only now waking up to the dangers of 'big data', and having faceless corporations track your every move across the internet, or your purchases, or your contacts via social media. Governments quite like corporations doing this, since once the data is mined and analyzed, they can get it via court order, for free, with laws that prevent the companies from telling their customers.
What's happening with motoring is similar. Placing ANPR technology on main roads implements the whole-scale surveillance of a nation. Gone are the days of having to have a court order to tap a phone or intercept someone's postal mail. Now, the data is collected and analyzed first - essentially presumed guilt, not presumed innocence.
The linked article suggests that there are ways of defeating ANPR technology. There are perhaps two. The first is to steal the license plates of a different car. This trick has been around for years, and extensive effort has been put into supplying license plates that show clearly visible signs of this - they fracture and turn black. The other is somewhat more dangerous, which is to know in advance where all the cameras are, and then tailgate a large truck past the cameras.
In short, the police have the inclination, budget and incentive to build out a better and better tracking system until even these few gaps are gone.
A more important question, however, may be to step back and look at where the balance now lies in terms of personal freedoms versus state power. The theory of a democracy is that it provides a 'government by the people', yet I wonder how many people are comfortable with the current state of play?
Re:Burden of Proof? (Score:2, Insightful)
This trick has been around for years, and extensive effort has been put into supplying license plates that show clearly visible signs of this - they fracture and turn black.
A far simpler option is to make your own convincing fake. Soon possibly with a 3D printer.
Re:tick tock (Score:5, Insightful)
Not even for safety. It is chipped away for an *illusion* of safety. Does anybody know anyone who feels more safe than a couple of decades ago thanks to all the modern surveillance tech? I don't.
Re:tick tock (Score:4, Insightful)
which is all based on the assumption that speed limits are about safety. They're not.. If traffic is smooth, then it is safe...even if it's going 80 in a 65. Best leave it be then. If traffic is rarely smooth, then the road needs to be redesigned so that it is.
Re:more cameras (Score:4, Insightful)
The cameras aren't there for ordinary criminals to get caught /tinfoilhat
Re:tick tock (Score:5, Insightful)
whoa hold up.. No one has a right to 'feel safe.' That is a fallacy that needs to die. Feeling safe and being safe are two different things with two very different political outcomes.
The problem is that cops are treating every situation as 'dangerous' now, because of these ever more powerful tools. with the information provided by the cams, they're free to justify any sort of intent they want by washing the recorded behavior though a pile of half baked and badly interpreted psychology. With this, they can now justify targeting nearly anyone they choose. This is really bad for freedom for obvious reasons. TASERs are another example. You're welcome to respond with 'don't tase me bro', but the fact is these weapons are often misused under the guise they're 'non fatal.' Give a bully mentality a bat to whack people in the head with, tell him it's 'non fatal', and watch what happens. There's a reason the schoolyard bully type often gravitates to law enforcement.
Re:tick tock (Score:4, Insightful)
ah yes, the tyrant apologist argument. After all, demanding such freedoms will be met with open arms by government which of course loves all of its citizens. It would never put them on watch/nofly lists, label them with some kind of dirty keyword that preempts them from due process, tap their communications, or twist existing laws to justify arrests.. It would never violate the spirit of its founding documents with circular reasoning and newspeak redefinitions...
The only way to prevent tyranny is to deny what's require for one to operate.
Re:SOUNDS ALL RIGHT TO ME !! (Score:3, Insightful)
It's hard to believe this is the same country where someone said this:
"Odious apparatus..."
Re:more cameras (Score:5, Insightful)
1) steal a set of plates from another car
2) place on your car
3) enjoy driving, filling with fuel etc
4) discard plates - goto (1)
Lasts upto 24 hours before plates are reported as stolen as they generally have to check with current owner
and soon to be replaced with
1) raprep plate from same/similar make model color vehicle (I've seen a very convincing copy already)
try telling the police you weren't at the crime scene
criminals will always have the upper hand in a Big Brother/Nanny state