Recent technology has given police more surveillance tools to quickly identify motorists on the run. The mass surveillance method is called Automatic Number Plate Recognition. Big brother is now using ANPR to watch you.
With the use of optical character recognition, cops will instantly be able to read vehicle registration plates. There are capabilities of different objectives, including storing data for future reference. Usage of this system is not without controversy.
There are several issues to be noted. One is an automated cop system. You understand, the 1984-surveillance style of government, or an automated justice system. This is just too spooky even for Orwellians.
There is also the love relationship between Big Corporation with Big Brother, and the technology will be employed to maximize profits. Automation will generate more traffic tickets. More revenue for police. Profit over people once again.
Police fraud is a huge problem all over the United States. The stories are piling up everywhere in the news. Police can breach the social contract by looking at your stored data on the computer if they choose to retaliate against you. It happened in Edmonton and it will probably happen in a city near you.
Suppose the data is dropped by police in a gutter somewhere? What if the data is placed in the wrong hands? Police could also target specific groups and use data to profile. What if they sell the data?
Accuracy and efficiency are problems to be taken into consideration. While the claims point out that these systems are accurate, what if there are discrepancies? Will the courts favor the police even if the client is innocent? How do we raise an argument against a surveillance system?
Evasion of such systems is where comedy is sure to rise. There are a number of ways to evade the camera: Mud, tag spray, blinding with lights, etc. The list could go on here.
The latest attention-grabbing headline — Car cloning on the rise…
