Tracking Chips In License Plates

[IfYaGot3Yards]

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."

Indeed, the makers of the technology boast that the e-plates can furnish access control, automated tolling, asset tracking, traffic-flow monitoring and vehicle crime and "non-compliance."

The chips can be outfitted with 128 bit encryption to prevent hacking.

The problem is people other than the vehicle's owner quite often are at the wheel.

"Will this, ultimately, stop terrorism?" Gross asked. "The occupants of cars change continuously. Terrorists can steal cars."


Similar technology already has been used in the United States, experts said.

"The technology side of this is readily available, as it is used in the high-frequency battery-powered transmitters in the toll road systems like Fastrak," said attorney Dave Abel, with the international law firm Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP, who was an engineer before coming to the bar. "To use the toll road, a user signs up -- providing name, address, billing info, et cetera, which is stored in a database. Each time they drive past the reader station they are billed or a credit is deducted from an account."


Security access points could justify the expense, but placing them even at key intersections may not be very practical, according to lawyers at Pittiglio, Rabin, Todd & McGrath in Costa Mesa, Calif., a spokeswoman said.

The cost of roadside readers is significant -- although the price per chip is estimated to be only 20 cents.

Some experts said governments already are using the chips embedded in tollway access cards without heed to privacy rights.

In Texas, for example, tollway authorities have been "making printouts of the records of every time you pass through a toll booth, what time you passed through," McIntyre said.

"The government hasn't established a privacy policy for this, and people are not being informed that they are doing this. This is an instance of Big Brother on the highway."
--
Gene Koprowski is a 2005 Lilly Endowment Award Winner for his columns for United Press International. He covers networking and telecommunications for UPI Science News. E-mail:sciencemail@upi.com

[motorhead]

Just toss the plates in the microwave.

[87natty]

If you're a decent person, why worry? Everyone thinks the damn government is out to get them. I'm sure there are a lot more people that are a lot more fukced up that they like to keep tabs on. I wouldn't care, maybe they'll find my car faster one day.

[BLACK6PACK]

I was thinking a big heavy magnet could screw things up a little.

[bishir]

Won't work....


Who will this punish? The people who who typically follow the law.. that's who!


You think Criminals will drive around with these plates? Heck, in Alabama all you need is a piece of paper that says "Tag applied for"

87natty you may think the government is honost, but always remember "the price of liberty is eternal vigilance" Government is inheritely corrupt without safeguards. Having all that power and not abusing it once in awhile is like not going WOT in your Turbo Buick.

[JBenn911]

Here's another one for you all..I've recently begun tests with our E-911 Vendor to directly receive crash data from "black boxes".. According to our vendor, starting in '08 all vehicles sold in the US will have said box and in the event of a crash, will transmit(via cellular) all relevant crash data..ie: speed, direction, braking, wheel lockup, etc etc etc....

[DCEPTCN]

I'm gonna have to agree with 87natty on this. I, like most, get a bit wary of anyone trying to impose upon my privacy- but when I think about it, I don't do anything ilegal so who cares? I think if I ever became wrongly accused of a murder or something like that, the eveidence from that chip proving that I was actually at the titty bar at the time of the crime would make it all okay in my book. I dunno.

[bishir]

I will never give in and have something that lets the government track me on a daily basis like a chip in my plate, a black box, or a computer chip in my hand or forehead. Because for one technology can be manupulated and controled and those with that ability will posess the power. You may trust your government, but I will never trust someone who wants to give up or take my rights in the interest of a precieved safety.

Though it's an overused quote IMO,

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. " Benjamin Franklin

[Zap]

Originally Posted by bishir

I will never give in and have something that lets the government track me on a daily basis like a chip in my plate, a black box, or a computer chip in my hand or forehead. Because for one technology can be manupulated and controled and those with that ability will posess the power. You may trust your government, but I will never trust someone who wants to give up or take my rights in the interest of a precieved safety.

Though it's an overused quote IMO,

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. " Benjamin Franklin

I'll go along with that.

They would use it to generate revenue through some sort of tax, no doubt.

[ajt86]

cars already have "black boxes" your module for your SIR system records vitals of the vehical when the air bag sensors activate. it doesnt transmit it- but if need be the information can be used in court. i forget what companys these are used in- i beleive all of the big 3 use it. i heard a case where a woman tried saying one of the drive by wire systems went haywire and she crashed into a tree and she had her foot on the brake- and the SIR module recorded acceloration with no brake movement- dont know if its true or not.

[BrightSilverT]

Originally Posted by bishir

I will never give in and have something that lets the government track me on a daily basis like a chip in my plate, a black box, or a computer chip in my hand or forehead.

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. " Benjamin Franklin

One Word "OnStar"!!! Already begining to put the Repo Man out of Bussiness, find the car with the Push of a Button!! So much for anonimity!!!

[87GTA-turbo]

Yes there are good points like less auto related crimes..
but if its used on a tax per mile basis like some states (CA) are looking into its not good.

[NOCOOLER]

Originally Posted by mOtOrHeAd MiKe

Just toss the plates in the microwave.

You beat me to it - my thoughts exactly....

[instro84]

more than likeley the chip will be a transponder on a smaller scale than whats in aircraft or lojack. Just hit it with enuf rf power spread spectrum and blow out the reciever. not that i've done something like that before.

[bishir]

The proposed transponder is going to be very similar to the ones in people's cars down here that let them go through tollbooths automatically and deducting from their accounts.

I'm sure it can be bypassed, but it will be illegal to destroy one, and then you will have otherwise honost people commiting crimes because they don't want to be tracked.