We know where you've been: Ars acquires 4.6M license plate scans from the cops
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Source: Ars Technica
OAKLAND, Calif.If you have driven in Oakland any time in the last few years, chances are good that the cops know where youve been, thanks to their 33 automated license plate readers (LPRs).
Now Ars knows too.
In response to a public records request, we obtained the entire LPR dataset of the Oakland Police Department (OPD), including more than 4.6 million reads of over 1.1 million unique plates between December 23, 2010 and May 31, 2014. The dataset is likely the largest ever publicly released in the United Statesperhaps in the world.
After analyzing this data with a custom-built visualization tool, Ars can definitively demonstrate the data's revelatory potential. Anyone in possession of enough data can oftenbut not alwaysmake educated guesses about a targets home or workplace, particularly when someones movements are consistent (as with a regular commute).
Read more: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/03/we-know-where-youve-been-ars-acquires-4-6m-license-plate-scans-from-the-cops/
George II
(67,782 posts)...this is no revelation, and most don't care.
cstanleytech
(26,027 posts)and they have a car driving up and down parking lots looking for any cars on that there is a repossession order out for.
Cryptoad
(8,254 posts)Digital Age is driving[pi] a wooden stake thru its heart and I'm loving it.... Total and Absolute transparency is coming....... I'm loving it! No Secrets ,,, no Darkness!
truebrit71
(20,805 posts)...
FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)but the year was already past, so he didn't bother.
I wonder if there's been a lot of that kind of thinking.
OKNancy
(41,832 posts)THis article is an analysis piece.. please repost in GD or Good reads. Thanks