Wireless World: Chips track license plates

[Keith]

Wireless World: Chips track license plates

By Gene J. Koprowski

Aug. 12, 2005 at 10:04AM

A controversial plan to embed radio frequency identification chips in license plates in the United Kingdom also may be coming to the United States, experts told UPI's Wireless World.

The so-called e-Plate, developed by the British firm Hills Numberplates, is a license plate that also transmits a vehicle's unique identification via encryption that can be read by a small detector, whose output can be used locally or communicated to a distant host.

"RFID is all the rage these days," said Bradley Gross, chairman of Becker & Poliakoff, a law firm in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., "but my fear is that this use of the technology is tracking at its worst."

The reason for the concern in the legal and privacy-rights communities is that e-plates may expand the ability of police to track individuals by the movement of their vehicles.

A single RFID reader can identify dozens of vehicles fitted with e-plates moving at any speed at a distance of about 100 yards. The e-plate looks just like a standard plate, but it contains an embedded chip that cannot be seen or removed. It is self-powered with a battery life of up to 10 years.

"Police will be able to track your every move when you drive," said Liz McIntyre, an RFID expert and author of the forthcoming book, "Spychips: How Major Corporations and the Government Plan to Track Your Every Move With RFID" (Nelson Current, October 2005). "What if they put these readers at a mosque? They could tell who was inside at a worship service by which cars were in the parking lot."

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The Washington Times

[Constant]

Before you know it, we will have to show our social security cards to purchase a soda from the 711!

[Qun Mang]

I expect within days or weeks there will be instructions on the web on how to disable it. You know, make a little incision on the plate and oops, there goes the transmitted ID...

Hackers just love these things.

[other one]

I already carry one of these things on the front window of our vehicles so that we can be charged for the travel use on our toll roads without stopping. Sooner or later I think we will pay taxes on our milage that we drive instead of gas tax. More as electric becomes available we will need some way to collect taxes to keep the roads and bridges.

If it were not for the globalist people I wouldn't mind it, but considering my view of our future it causes me a deep worry....

[other one]

I expect within days or weeks there will be instructions on the web on how to disable it.  You know, make a little incision on the plate and oops, there goes the transmitted ID...   

Hackers just love these things.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...and when you drive by a security place and it doesn't register a camera will take a picture of the driver and the license number and men in black will pay a visit to your house.....

[PwrInTheBld]

I already carry one of these things on the front window of our vehicles so that we can be charged for the travel use on our toll roads without stopping.

We have something similar here called a "transponder". We don't have toll roads as the US does (at least not that I'm aware of) but we have a certain highway (the 407 ETR) that you are charged to use.

If you do not have a transponder and you use this highway, the system triggers digital cameras, which take electronic images of the rear license plate of your car from different angles. The owner of the vehicle is identified through government records and is sent an invoice, for using the highway, in the mail.

If you don't pay the bill, you can not renew your license plate or get a new license plate until all tolls and fees have been paid.

I don't have a transponder myself.....I just take the 10 or 15 minutes extra and go a different route

[Liss]

this just shows us how close we really are coming to the no times. when the government can track our every move. soon who knows what will happen!!

[Scarletprayers]

I expect within days or weeks there will be instructions on the web on how to disable it.

[Qun Mang]

I expect within days or weeks there will be instructions on the web on how to disable it.  You know, make a little incision on the plate and oops, there goes the transmitted ID...   

Hackers just love these things.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...and when you drive by a security place and it doesn't register a camera will take a picture of the driver and the license number and men in black will pay a visit to your house.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Depends how serious they are about the ID of course, but I hear ya! That would then be a way of getting revenge on someone (I don't go for revenge, I'm just saying, mind you!). Just snip their ID and let them try to explain it to the "men in black."

I have a toll transponder myself, but ATM it's sitting in my house. I used to use the toll roads every day but not anymore except on occasion.

[deafcanada]

I expect within days or weeks there will be instructions on the web on how to disable it.