Quote:
Originally posted by Dan in Pasadena
The "big deal" is the Big Brother potential for this technology.
I've got to admit that it sounds as though the potential for good with this is huge; but to my mind that only means the potential for abuse is even larger. I suppose the unreasonable search issues have already been explored...but I can't imagine that it won't be long after these are in widespread use (if they aren't already) that it'll be found someone abused the knowledge the system provided. Oh well, I hope the abuse is FAR outweighed by the good it does or the bad it prevents.
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So as used, it's ok, and it's just the potential for misuse/abuse that is troubling?
The potential for misuse/abuse of information and technology is already everywhere. Pretty much your every move is tracked. There are cameras everywhere. Every website you visit could be tracked. Your credit card and social security information is stored in all sorts of places and your spending habits and places you visit can be tracked. Your cell phone calls are all all documented to the minute or second, and you can often be tracked by your cell phone. Etc. etc. etc.
This license plate system doesn't seem to provide much information to anyone - it just scans plates and cross references them with the existing DMV database, and sounds an alarm when it gets a hit.