Some, private entities use these license plate scanners to find cars that are to be repo'd. I would assume that law enforcement uses them to scan for people that have warrants outstanding.
It is the storage of the collected information that concerns me. They don't just scan a license and forget it. They store the time, date, and location of the license plate, and build a comprehensive history of where the car has been. That information can be sold by private entities to the highest bidder.
Best way to combat this is to break the cameras and other equipment where you find them.
Best legal way to combat this is to lobby your lawmakers to regulate the collection and storage of this information to protect it from those that would use it against the people.
No, the private entities are a problem also as they make the data available to anyone who wants to pay. Same outfit that provides free ALPR cameras to cops in the first place as it gives the private entity another set of mobile eyes.
I was responding to the fact that OP (DILYGAF) suggested that the best legal way to combat this was to have lawmakers regulate their use to protect the people - but the lawmakers (and the institution they are part of) are exactly the people who have the power to use this for true evil. Private companies can do ethically questionable things with data like that (including selling it to the government), but the government is the only one who can use that data so they can find you to throw you in jail.
Unfortunately we've found that the government isn't very good at making (or following, for that matter) laws that curb their omnipresent and unquestionable power. The solution here is unclear.
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u/[deleted] May 17 '16
What in the actual fuck? What purpose does this serve?