siliconwafer writes "The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking to acquire a vehicle license plate tracking system, to be used at the national level. According to the solicitation obtained by the Washington Post, commercial readers, supplied by a private company, would scan the plate of vehicles and store them in a "National License Plate Recognition" (NLPR) database. This is already being done at the state level, and privacy advocates are up in arms, with EFF and ACLU suing California over their automatic plate readers. Now that this has potential to become a broad and national program."
[ED Note: "Shortly after the Washington Post broke the story on the national plate reading system, it appears the DHS has shelved their plans for the tracking system, by order of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, at least in the interim."]
(Score: 5, Insightful) by githaron on Sunday February 23 2014, @12:41PM
At one point in history, that may have been true but how would anyone function in modern society without being able to use public roads?
(Score: 1) by Foobar Bazbot on Sunday February 23 2014, @01:02PM
Hey, slow down!
He said "driving" on public roads is a privilege, and you said "using" public roads is essential in modern society. Don't you know that using public roads (The Way The Good Lord Intended, with feet) is a right, which nobody plans to take away*, and only these new-fangled motorcars need driving privileges granted by the state? It's for your own safety, so shut up and take your medicine!
*Y'know, aside from all the highways that are posted "motorized vehicles only"... kindly ignore those, else the state's position on the "right to travel" and the "privilege of driving" might look like some kind of farce.
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(Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 23 2014, @01:45PM
(Score: 2, Informative) by akinliat on Sunday February 23 2014, @02:52PM
And just recently a number of cities have made it a felony to do any of the above.