Surveillance States

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

The United States Government has a duty. That duty? Preserve the privacy of the people whenever possible. Yet today we face an issue: the United States is not upholding their duties.

In the modern day United States, in an effort to uphold peace, various states and cities have formed contracts with private corporations. These corporations have one main duty: to provide ALPRs, or Automated License Plate Readers.

While these ALPRs have a real, legitimate purpose, these such cameras aren't used for their intended purpose, and the corporations providing those services are both aware and permit it.

One such legitimate purpose is tracking, for example, stolen vehicles or vehicles covered under AMBER Alerts... that is, of course, if it were accurate. It has been shown that, while manufacturers claim 93% accuracy, an independent study finds only 63% accuracy.

There have been numerous cases of LEOs and those entrusted to uphold and maintain the peace utilizing ALPRs for tracking people they deem people of interest, of which may not be, in all actuality, a proposed criminal. Instead, those persons of interest are people's ex spouses, favorite celebrities, children, and other such violations of contract.

Many people continue to say "If I have nothing to hide, then why should I be worried?" And, to this, I call this ridiculous. ALPRs can do much more than just read plates. It's the difference between knowing that someone owns a phone (a very high probability, near assumable), knowing what platform that phone utilizes (it can be guessed based on simple market share), knowing that phone's associated number (very personal information), and knowing that phone's IMEI (data indeed seen to be extremely personal).

ALPRs can be used to discern very sensitive information of any person going on a monitored street, not only those proposed "people of interest."

Plus, due to the database access provided to the Government, and the nature of the data provided, the Government can, without a warrant, obtain information that otherwise would require a warrant.

It is due to this that ALPRs should not be used, among other things.