Monday, February 13, 2017
QUESTION OF THE WEEK NO. 5
There is a growing privacy concern with the
proliferation of automatic license plate readers primarily centering around the
creation of massive databases that could be used for surveillance
purposes. ALPR devices are being used
both by government and private businesses and several states, including Utah,
have enacted laws regulating their use.
Should the U.S. Congress enact a federal law governing the use of ALPR
technology?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Yes, I think that there should be federal laws governing the use of this technology. I think that something like this that has the potential to invade people's privacy should be regulated. The technology has good uses. However, I think that there is also the risk that it could be abused. People could be tracked. This kind of power and potential risk should be regulated so that the ALPR technology can be put to use in good ways while protecting against misuse.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think that U.S congress should enact a federal law governing the use of ALPR technology because location is a very sensitive issue. I think the first thought that goes through my head is, "what could happen if someone hacked into this information?" If someone with bad intentions knew where you go, when you are not home, who you meet with, and what types of things you like to do, there is not much you could do to protect yourself. This is a huge potential risk.
ReplyDeleteYes, for both governmental and private purposes. If data in these types of state-level databases is going to be fed into federal databases, as it so often is, there should be regulations in place as to its uses by the federal government, as well as the obligation to inform the public about those uses and the fact that their data is being used at all. As for data usage by private businesses, consumers' data should only be used for security purposes and not given to third parties for any purpose without express consent.
ReplyDeleteYes but I think it should be limited. I think the use of ALPR technology should be regulated and users should not be allowed to track. I think the history of involvement with the law could be allowed to be seen but I do not think the whereabouts of cars should be continuously followed. For example, if I park in the MHC parking lot and get a ticket, the officer will use ALPR to scan my license and give me a ticket. When he pulls up my license plate, he may be able to see my history of tickets in that lot (that would be up to the states to decide) and distribute a ticket. The officer could not keep that on record and have all the other ALPR machines track you as you move or where else you are parking. An expectation of privacy is assumed when you drive. The exact policies, such as where the information is held, who has access, and what exact information is stored, would be up to the state.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think the Federal Government should have a light hand in regulating how states use ALPR technology. I think the technology is very useful for when police are pulling someone over, for instance, and how it helps the U's parking enforcement more swiftly and accurately write tickets. I think it's a lot like using facial recognition software in security cameras. It's a passive observation of all cars and I don't think that the immense amount of complex tracking data is being watched by the police for every single person. The one area where I think there should be Federal enforcement would be where the data goes. If the information were sold to companies or taken by private individuals then I think it could be dangerous.
ReplyDeleteYes. Tracking license plates should be for security use only. Private businesses may be allowed to use this technology, under some regulation, for security purposes on their premises. Use on public roads can be used by local police, to find missing cars or identify someone linked to a crime. However, there should be regulations for how this information is used, how long it is maintained and who has access to it. Businesses who use it for security as well as those in law enforcement must be limited to using this technology for security and not use this information for personal or financial gains.
ReplyDeleteYes. ALPR's should only be used for law enforcement purposes. This technology can be helpful for tracking crime suspects, for example. All unused data should be deleted. I understand the "just in case" mindset behind hoarding all the data ALPR's collect, but I think that doing so only perpetuates unjustified tracking of innocent civilians.
ReplyDeleteYes, there should be a law enacted to regulate the usage of ALPR'S. I believe that this law should consider if the license plate reading is a necessity. It is obviously necessary for the police force to catch criminals and deviants; however, as the TED talk pointed out, the information collected by ALPR's is collected and stored in a database. Oftentimes, it collects more information than just the license plate, and can consequently obtain more access into our private lives. I believe that the law should account for this, and set regulations on data collection and storing. Additionally, only the license plates should be scanned and nothing else; no photos or additional images should be stored.
ReplyDeleteYes. Federal laws are better than state laws at ensuring consistent application of the law nation-wide, rather than on a case-by-case basis. ALPRs should be used exclusively for law enforcement purposes. For example, if a car runs a red light, an ALPR could be used to capture their license plate number for law enforcement purposes. However, if an ALPR is installed for that purpose, then the data it captures should only be stored and/or used if it is connected to a criminal offense. For example, it should not store the license plates of all the perfectly legal drivers who pass by that same intersection without breaking the law.
ReplyDeleteI think that there should be a federal law only if it regulated how the information collected from automatic license plate readers is used on a stricter level than most states already have. I think if the federal government would keep individual privacy in mind by keeping databases secure and the information accessible only to people with certain levels of clearance, then they should make policies. I think that this technology should only be used for criminals. I think that using it to access and store information on civilians creates distrust between civilians and the government.
ReplyDeleteYes,
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think it’s sort of a moot point now thanks to the private sector. Because everyone carries a cellphone around, and because the GPS on those phones are typically always on, you’re always being tracked. And because it’s a third-party that's tracking you, the government can request those records from your cell provider legally, and they’ll still know exactly where you’ve been even without looking at your license plate. Alternatively, Twitter—as well as other social media websites—offers an API which will let ANYBODY who asks know your EXACT COORDINATES whenever you make a tweet! We give away our location information voluntarily every day, so even strict laws around ALPRs aren't going to protect you from being tracked.
Yes. I think that federal laws should be enacted to regulate the use of these devices. I believe that government institutions should be able to use these devices for security purposes and for protecting the law. However, it should be illegal across the nation for people to use these devices for any personal uses. There would be no way to control the information if they were to share their collected data on the internet.
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe that this sort of information should not be stored for long periods of time and should only be used for traffic issues or criminal investigations. But honestly I am less scared about the government directly recording my location (through license plate readers), and more scared about them getting my location from much more accurate and consistent trackers used by google and apple. As for the commercial use of ALPR, I can’t see any good reason for a company to use one, but once again I am not as concerned about private ALPRs as I am about tracking through phones and other wireless devices.
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe that there should be a federal law enacted regarding the use of ALPR technology. The laws should regulate the technology so that it cannot be used in ways that would result in it being used as a means of tracking and profiling individuals. If it is used in this a way a warrant should be required. I also believe that this needs to be a federal law and not left to the states so that it is consistent across the nation.
ReplyDeleteYes, I don't see why there shouldn't be some sort of federal law limiting or restricting what ALPR technology can or can not do. This kind of information should only be stored temporarily for the purposes of of tracking traffic and criminal issues. Like Emily, the "just in case" mindset strikes me as an understandable response, but the collection and retention of vast amounts of personal information is something that should only happen on a case by case basis, in order to prevent the kind of surveillance "Big/Little Brother" society we've discussed.
ReplyDeleteMy original thought was that the courts should be involved, because it should require a warrant to track an individual using ALPR, BUT, this would prohibit the very useful case where the police would like to track a stolen car or track bank robbers. There is a slippery slope here after which enough data becomes too much data, so I think it would be useful for Congress to weigh in and provide some guidelines.
ReplyDelete