A vast hidden surveillance network runs across America

Believe it or not, this is all powered by the repo industry. At first you might not think this is that big of a deal, but this information is being sold and used far and wide beyond vehicle repossession.

An automated reader attached to the spotter car takes a picture of every license plate it passes and sends it to a company in Texas that already has more than 1.8 billion plate scans from vehicles across the country.



Surveillance For Hire: Would You Take Money to Record Fellow Drivers?

But the most significant impact of Sousa’s business is far bigger than locating cars whose owners have defaulted on loans: It is the growing database of snapshots showing where Americans were at specific times, information that everyone from private detectives to ­insurers are willing to pay for.

The scariest part about this is the lack of regulations on use. A private investigator can access these records amongst many others.

Privacy advocates brace against this kind of broad scan-and-store data gathering when police use it, let alone private companies; now business using the scanning technology may face additional hurdles from legislators trying to ban commercial scanning altogether.

Sources:
betaboston.com...
www.theblaze.com...

why not a polarized cover that goes over the plate so it can be seen, but not photographed?

Wow, this surveilance stuff is coming on so fast!

I don't know how paranoid I'm being, but I just started trying to keep the built-in cam lense on my lap-top covered.

I can never seem to always keep it covered, though. I know probably no one's looking, but you know they probably recording some people like that. lol... idk.. sux

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


I believe those are illegal in most places because it interferes with the polices ability to use radar on your license plate. Modern license plates use reflective paint so that the amplify the cars radar return signature. Car are getting smoother shaped and are creating smaller radar signatures messing up the cops ability to radar your car as easily. So in cones the reflective license plates and then came the polarized covers the. Came the laws against using them etc.

reply to post by freakjive


There is another vast surveillance system...it's called Social Security...they use that to track everyone...car or no car. Hey, here is a thought, instead of bellyaching about repo guys and how they do their job, maybe the dead beats could handle the situations better, perhaps, pay the bill...or turn the car in...if you don't own it and you don't want to pay...then it called theft by deception and any means necessary to retrieve said property is perfectly acceptable to me as long as innocent people are not killed in the process. Personally. I could care less what anyone thinks they know or what video they take of me.

reply to post by soulpowertothendegree


To be tracked by your social security number you have to use it. You apply for credit, get a job, etc.

You could just be traveling to your favorite hangout or family members house and the scanning overtime will track this. Cell phones can be used to do the same thing as well but you can also choose to leave it behind.

I supposed you can still take the bus, walk or ride a bike without being tracked...unless you include the almost nationwide surveillance cameras being equipped with facial recognition technology.

This is about another breach on our rights.

reply to post by freakjive


Don't like it move!

Could this be fought using Stalking laws?
If I found out that private (not leo's) individuals were recording my whereabouts then I'd be accusing them of stalking me!

soulpowertothendegree
reply to post by freakjive

 

Don't like it move!

No. I shouldn't have to move. My country was founded so that we as individuals have a set of rights. This is a clear violation of those rights. It's people like you who accept these encroachments and are complacent who have created such a scenario today.

You go ahead and take your security over your freedom.

BASSPLYR
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

I believe those are illegal in most places because it interferes with the polices ability to use radar on your license plate. Modern license plates use reflective paint so that the amplify the cars radar return signature. Car are getting smoother shaped and are creating smaller radar signatures messing up the cops ability to radar your car as easily. So in cones the reflective license plates and then came the polarized covers the. Came the laws against using them etc.

are you kidding reflective license plates have been around a lot longer than aerodynamic cars. they go back at least to the early eighties, if not longer. they were made reflective so cops could see them easier at night.

the polarized covers were used to try and defeat traffic camera by obscuring the view of the plate. if i'm not mistaken myth busters did a show on this, with radar and everything,

yep here it is although this is not the offical web site i don't think.
Myth Buster Result Page

and then there's this

The reflective sheeting makes license plates easier for law enforcement officials to read by the light of headlights or flashlights, and it is more effective as a safety device on the highway. It does make license plates more expensive to manufacture. License Plate

also there are 31 states that don't require front plates, so how is radar going to reflect back from the front or the side if the plates are on the back.


ETA:

Hawaii first introduced reflective white ink on embossed plate in 1957through 1961. Retro-reflective yellow foil was first used in 1969 for the manufacture of Hawaii license plates. The 1976 Hawaii license plate was the first to have print on retro-reflective foil. The graphic consisted of a red anthurium on the upper left and a pale red image of a Hawaiian warrior, palm trees and Diamond Head lightly screened on background of license plate number. The 1981 Hawaii license plate was reflective white with the face of a Hawaiian warrior in orange. HAWAII (top center), ALOHA STATE (bottom center) and embossed number in brown. Hawaii License Plates

With these designs, none of them were actually reflective until 1936 when the first reflective plates were introduced in 1936 Mexico. These were done with glass beads that were applied to the numbers on the plate. This concept would then be taken to 3M and in 1960s a form of sheering was introduced that is now used across the globe. This was the first step in having all license plates have a similar format, no matter where in the world they were found.History of the License Plate

soulpowertothendegree
reply to post by freakjive

 

Hey, here is a thought, instead of bellyaching about repo guys and how they do their job, maybe the dead beats could handle the situations better, perhaps, pay the bill...or turn the car in...if you don't own it and you don't want to pay...

Everyone steals cars now?? Also everyone is a potential terrorist too so spy on everybody all the time and just shut up about it huh? If you like being watched so much move somewhere like the London or maybe Russia... Don't tell other people to move who like freedom, which is the entire point of living in America.

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

We are merely fish in an ocean of information.

freakjive

soulpowertothendegree
reply to post by freakjive

 

Don't like it move!

No. I shouldn't have to move. My country was founded so that we as individuals have a set of rights. This is a clear violation of those rights. It's people like you who accept these encroachments and are complacent who have created such a scenario today.

You go ahead and take your security over your freedom.

Indeed. Lots of us moved from areas that had these type of scenarios going on. Now they seem to have encompassed my podunk backyard area. San Fran are you lost?

reply to post by freakjive


I was oing to post this yesterday.

it's a surveillance state.

All of our personal information is already attached to our license plate anyway so, other than tracking where we go from day to day, it is kind of a mute thing imo (they already have whatever they need to find us is what I'm saying).

There's a spray you can use on your license plate to prevent cameras from capturing what letters are on the plate. For example, www.phantomplate.com... There are other sprays as well.

Those spray-on photoblockers are bunk, and it wouldn't do any good during daylight when cameras can still capture plates without a flash. In fact we can assume that the license plate images captured by this company from it's army of car- or truck-mounted cameras don't use any flash at all. The real problem is we as citizens have no voice in what the private sector is willing to do with our personal and private data. They have no monetized and securitized our daily routine, a drive to the grocery store is now some companies commodity to be sold to the highest bidder, be it LE or marketers or some stalker.

Go to your local Radio Shack. Purchase some infra-red LED's. Arrange them around your license tag. Do not cut off the cars tag lights that all already there. No camera can get a pic because of the infra-red signature. You can do the same with say a baseball hat, surround the brim with LED's white will work, blue whatever color, cameras at night want be able to see your face because of the LED's, The camera's at night mode search out and amplify the light from the surroundings...the LED's are so bright to the camera..it will take a pic of you with a bright shiney face of LED light. For future reference, the amount of voltage from say a stun-gun will incapaitate red light camera's. Just a touch and discharge on the metal pole it's attached to. 12 gauge works quite well also, use 00 buck shot, you dont want to leave anything on the pole.LOL

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


We have choices. For example: We can smash these whenever we see them.

freakjive
reply to post by soulpowertothendegree

 

To be tracked by your social security number you have to use it. You apply for credit, get a job, etc.

You could just be traveling to your favorite hangout or family members house and the scanning overtime will track this. Cell phones can be used to do the same thing as well but you can also choose to leave it behind.

I supposed you can still take the bus, walk or ride a bike without being tracked...unless you include the almost nationwide surveillance cameras being equipped with facial recognition technology.

This is about another breach on our rights.

The Private Investigators I know use a person's cell phone to track that person. All they need is the cell number and some purchased software. Law enforcement also have access to even better software to find people. Easy peasy.