By MassPrivateI
"Michigan became the second state in the country to roll out the world’s first digital license plate.
According to an article in The Car Connection, the state of Michigan just approved Reviver Auto’s digital license plates called the “Rplate.”
Reviver Auto boasts that a total of five states have already approved their digital license plates.
Our innovative, multi-functional digital license plate, the Rplate Pro, will be on the road in California, Florida, Arizona and Texas in 2018. (Source):
George Orwell could never have dreamed of a world where license plates became a tool for more government surveillance.
Digital license plates are a privacy nightmare for motorists.
No longer will law enforcement have to run your license plate to see if you paid your taxes and insurance, because now your license plate will display a big “X” notifying everyone that you are a violator.
Digital license plates are the epitome of Big Brother surveillance
According to an article in WIRED, Rplates will turn vehicles into rolling Big Brother billboards that display Amber Alerts and much more.
It lets you update the registration stickers on your car through an app instead of dealing with the DMV. It can display Amber Alerts. It can be used as a miniature, knee-level billboard. If someone steals the car, it can read $NDHLP! or the more serious Stolen Vehicle. It can double as your E-Z Pass, FasTrak, or whatever RFID-based device you use to pay tolls. It can track your car’s location, so you can keep tabs on your teenager.
According to Reviver Auto, motorists have to pay a $99 annual subscription fee and a monthly $8.00 LTE fee for the privilege of being surveilled.
Who does not want to pay for the privilege of having a license plate that tracks your every movement and displays government approved messages?
But that is not all digital license plates can do.
The true purpose of using digital license plates that track your whereabouts is corporate greed.
The Car Connection article warns that corporations will use digital license plates to send “targeted messaging” to other drivers.
Another feature that may raise eyebrows is targeted messaging, which is a way to display advertisements on the license plate. The plate’s numbers can be minimized to leave more room for an ad when the car is parked. It’s not clear if Michigan would allow vehicle owners to opt into or out of ads, however.
How is that for creepy? License plates that send targeted advertising based on your location?
Make no mistake, digital license plates are nothing more than Big Brother/corporate surveillance devices.
URL: [activistpost.com]
Why do you worry about your license plates. They already do that with your smart phones.
In the suburbs i worked, police would ride up real slow and i know they were running plates. Three blocks later, they turn off (because my driving record is clean) .... Another girl i worked with had same experience but they pulled her over after riding slow behind her all the time.
I understand you're saying there would be something immediate and visual. But this seems like it's not too far away from reality that's been in play for years.
first of all, orwell did imagine at least that, and more. this is nothing. second of all, it's not an invasion of privacy, since the cops CAN run your plates already. what's so different about this, except the speed with which the info can be retrieved, info that might even save lives, since it has nothing to do with corporate greed (you've made zero case for that outrageous statement). a whole LOT of what goes on these days, and for a long time in fact, is the result of corporate greed. we are already living in a largely orwellian world. however, just saying something is connected to corporate greed with no evidence and not even the faintest hint of logic just dilutes the perception of the real problems and throws them all into the realm of conspiracy theory. that's not helpful.
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I cannot tell you just how glad I am that I don't drive anymore.
As much as I miss the freedom and independence driving allowed me,
I would NOT be well with participation in anything like this.
What is truly appalling is that most of the people who will willingly sign up for
these plates, will be doing it for the "convenience" of not having to deal with
the DMV for routine things like renewing their plates. They'll cite the "benefits"
of being able to receive Amber alerts, stolen vehicle alerts, etc.
They will not bother to look at the big picture, and following things to their most
logic conclusions.
By the time they realize how badly they screwed up by allowing so much government control, it'll be way too late to do anything about it.
Easy to see this one coming. Its weird that people do not make this association between being herded like cattle, drivers licenses and vehicle registration.
They are encroachments on free people. But people tolerate them or even praise them because they relate them to safety. Even though the safety is in the innovations, the way people calling themselves govt use them against people is to create a totalitarian situation in which they control each individuals ability to move around.
Innovations make it much easier for everyone to move around. Govt and regulation stymie those innovations intentionally to keep things fixed as they are.