And yes, I am accutely aware of the irony (if not the ridiculousness) of an American concerned about foreign civil liberty issues at this particular historical junction, but the ambition of this project is just wild. I mean, it is out there. It is pretty seriously 21st century.
quote:"Every time you make a car journey already, you'll be on CCTV somewhere. The difference is that, in future, the car's index plates will be read as well," said Frank Whiteley, Chief Constable of Hertfordshire and chairman of the Acpo steering committee on automatic number plate recognition (ANPR).
"What the data centre should be able to tell you is where a vehicle was in the past and where it is now, whether it was or wasn't at a particular location, and the routes taken to and from those crime scenes. Particularly important are associated vehicles," Mr Whiteley said.
The term "associated vehicles" means analysing convoys of cars, vans or trucks to see who is driving alongside a vehicle that is already known to be of interest to the police. Criminals, for instance, will drive somewhere in a lawful vehicle, steal a car and then drive back in convoy to commit further crimes "You're not necessarily interested in the stolen vehicle. You're interested in what's moving with the stolen vehicle," Mr Whiteley explained.
Imagine the Google Maps hack you could put together with this data.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
So, like, is that constitutional for them? It sounds like an awfully large infingement on privacy to me...
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Not quite the right question, as the UK doesn't have a constitution.
(Yes, I'm also aware of mangling "acute.")
Posted by tricky (Member # 1402) on :
This worries me. We get enough instances of someone stealing your number plate with speed cameras and the congestion charge, this will just make things worse.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
quote:Originally posted by Sol System: Not quite the right question, as the UK doesn't have a constitution.
Well, we do, it's just not codified.
I suppose it could be challenged under Article 8 of the Convention on Human Rights/Human Rights Act.
Given the history of government computer systems though, it'll probably be late, over budget and won't work properly anyway.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
The perfect murder alibi- just get a copy made of your tag or put on a riend's car for the day. "But...your honor- I was no where near the crime when it occured!"
Pretty "Big Brother" though. I recall talk of something like it in the proposed "national I.D. card" BushCo wanted just after 9/11. Something satelite-friendly.
Any criminal/terrorist could just steal a car and kill it's owner on the day they use they need the vehicle- a missing person's report (here) takes at least 24 to establish...and a vehicle stolen from a business might take several days to be noticed (a used car or rental dealership as example).
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
I will walk.
Posted by WizArtist II (Member # 1425) on :
Time to EMP the planet before Skynet comes online.
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
...[the report] does outline a public relations strategy (with "press releases and/or editorials" at a "very early stage") to persuade the American public that this kind of contraption would be, contrary to common sense, in their best interest.
That's easy, just have those press releases mention that it will make their CAHNTRY SAFAH and protect them from TEH TERAHRWRISTS, and within a month there won't be a single non-bugged car left on the road anywhere in the US.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
My old ass car barely has a computer at all- time to buy vintage and avoid the Man.
Posted by WizArtist II (Member # 1425) on :
Time to go buy a bunch of old muscle cars... then sell them off at 10 times their value to survivalists once this starts really making news.
On a side note...I know that a vehicle has to meet certain safety features to be allowed into production in the U.S., but what's to keep an individual from building their own vehicle from scratch? (sans all electronic components)
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Nothing I know of- only new vehicles need the safety requirements from what I have seen.
One of my friends has an old chevy taht's a registered "classic car" with the state, but it has all the the original parts, including the steering column (notorious for impaling the driver during collisions).
Lotsa old deathtraps on the road.
Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
Hooray for driving a vehicle with an EEC-IV computer! And living in Canada.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Oh, you and your EEC-IV computers!
Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
Older vehicles that have computers to control engine operations have some form of EEC computer. All the computer does is complicated things dealing with engine operations, mainly air/fuel mixture. Nowadays all vehicles have OBD computer systems (OnBoard Diagnostic) that control various other things and can be plugged into computers to determine a problem if there is one.
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Unless of course it is the problem.
I like Vibes, my friend left her gas cap off avter getting gas and the light came on, 2 trips at $75.00 each and they told her to tighten her gas cap all the way.
Overly smart alec vehicles these days.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
So, what else can you tell us about your "friend"'s vibe(s)?
-MMoM Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Nothing I care to brag about. Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
What the hell is an Index Plate? And I'll stick with my trusty Yamaha thank you. No damn computers on that!
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
We must never give quarter to the thinking machines, Gurney.
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
A nickle, yes, a dime, maybe, but never anything more.
Which, while my car almost moves without any government tracking is what it does to me.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
quote:Originally posted by Da_bang80: What the hell is an Index Plate?
That would be the plates on the front and back of your car with all the pretty letters and numbers on.
Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
aka license plates aka tags aka etc
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
oh, ok, for speaking the same language canadians and english people sure do talk differently
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
It is the first plate of a web site engraving machine.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
quote:Originally posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim: So, what else can you tell us about your "friend"'s vibe(s)?
All it took was the word "her" to make you start dribbling? That's several steps beyond desperation.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
What's that? The 15 day "Hail mary" long-distance reply?
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
I didn't check Flare over Christmas, but that's hardly a reason to ignore a chance for a sarcastic reply.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
True...some things are just too good to reply to. A sort of Carpe Diem thing.
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