Companies tracking license plates en masse

[LazyBoy]

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.s...e_cameras.html

The fast-action, car-mounted camera can take more than 100 pictures of license plates every minute, sorting them against a database of cars slated for repossession.

The license plate pictures taken by an army of repo men across the country go into that commercial database. The data, including the license plate number and where the picture was taken, is then sold again to global information brokering companies. The same companies that offer credit checks and identity protection are also selling license plate scans showing where you've been, accompanied by records about what you own, where you live and who you know.

The data's life becomes endless in systems where license plate records are bundled with other personal information and sold, over and over.

A demo of TransUnion's top-of-the-line search showed the breathtaking speed with which a stranger can learn almost anything about you.
Type in one name. Up pops a map of where your car has been spotted over the course of the past three months. Mouse over the location and the map tells you what each place is. A few more mouse clicks show your phone numbers, email addresses, social media accounts and home addresses. Yet another few taps on the keyboard and there is social network work map, showing you, your family members, spouses, friends, acquaintances.

Just like that, a stranger--perhaps a private detective or a risk manager -- knows you well.

[thriftyandboringinohio]

Re: Companies tracking license plates en masse

Sounds like a great business opportunity.

We'll sell a cool little license plate frame with a mechanism that has a single function: it covers and hides the plate when the vehicle is turned off.
The cover says "lift here to see license plate", so a policeman can write you a parking ticket.
Otherwise, the cameras can't see the plate when you are parked.

Let me know if you want to fund this - we could be out of design and on the market in 18 months, maybe a couple hundred thousand dollars budget, mostly for the plastic injection mold tooling.

[don]

Re: Companies tracking license plates en masse

Sounds like a great business opportunity.

We'll sell a cool little license plate frame with a mechanism that has a single function: it covers and hides the plate when the vehicle is turned off.
The cover says "lift here to see license plate", so a policeman can write you a parking ticket.
Otherwise, the cameras can't see the plate when you are parked.

Let me know if you want to fund this - we could be out of design and on the market in 18 months, maybe a couple hundred thousand dollars budget, mostly for the plastic injection mold tooling.

Probably illegal to conceal a license plate intentionally but what a PR stunt! Having touched upon America's latest consumption need - defending against invasive snooping - time to gear up, especially in the gray areas!

[GRG55]

Re: Companies tracking license plates en masse

Probably illegal to conceal a license plate intentionally but what a PR stunt! Having touched upon America's latest consumption need - defending against invasive snooping - time to gear up, especially in the gray areas!

I think the low capital intensity, high margin way to do this is to create and market a self-study course (book, DVD, etc) on how to "break the chain". I see potential for a LOT of repeat subscription business for updates. It would be the human equivalent of constantly updating anti-virus software.

[santafe2]

Re: Companies tracking license plates en masse

Probably illegal to conceal a license plate intentionally but what a PR stunt! Having touched upon America's latest consumption need - defending against invasive snooping - time to gear up, especially in the gray areas!

Vehicles are required to have a license plate while driving or parking in a public place. On private property they don't need fenders or doors or...you get my point.

[don]

Re: Companies tracking license plates en masse

I think the low capital intensity, high margin way to do this is to create and market a self-study course (book, DVD, etc) on how to "break the chain". I see potential for a LOT of repeat subscription business for updates. It would be the human equivalent of constantly updating anti-virus software.

A major step forward . . . congrats. Of course we must also tie in with updated surveillance that defeats our latest privacy updates to complete our magical circle. (kudos to those pioneering anti-virus people)

[GRG55]

Re: Companies tracking license plates en masse

A major step forward . . . congrats. Of course we must also tie in with updated surveillance that defeats our latest privacy updates to complete our magical circle. (kudos to those pioneering anti-virus people)

I think it's the perfect business don. Imagine, a branded website run on a secret server purchased at a Wikileaks bankruptcy auction. Tap in to every residual anti-government or anti-authority emotion anyone has ever experienced...most effective during fill-out-your-income-tax-forms time. Do some discrete marketing just opposite Gate C3 in any mid-West airport immediately downstream of the good citizens being screened, irradiated, groped and having their luggage taken apart on the pretext they might have been influenced by bin Laden's last tape, or smuggling counterfeit John Deere tractor parts.

Thinking really big, it could turn into a gigantic, globe-girdling virtual version of Idaho. Can you imagine the frustration of the Waco-hunters at the DoJ trying to find something to train the crosshairs on. Surveil the surveillors from the infinitely long perimeter fence. Seems like a fitting end, no less hellish than where we seem to heading now.