Opinion - Letters to the Editor

POSTED: Tuesday, Jun. 23, 2009

Says license plate cameras can be abused

So a license plate scanning camera system doesn't violate privacy? That depends on what is done with the data. For instance, what if a cop decides to track a woman he met while on patrol, so he adds her plate to the hotlist so he can track where she hangs out? This is clearly a violation of privacy.

Another for instance: Homeland security decides that abortion protesters belong to certain conservative churches so they drive through the parking lots during church services to scan all the plates and run all the people attending. Then they cross reference the data with known characteristics of abortion clinic terrorists and you find yourself on a watch list because you are between the age of 28 and 48, have no children and attend a bible study.

Can you imagine authorities or political enemies using this to find out who attended a certain rally or protest?

I believe this device will eventually find its way into private hands and be used for whatever commercial use people have for it. A new generation of these cameras will have the camera mounted stealthily in the body of the car and not out where people can see them. Welcome to the age of big brother.

Mike Melland

Lynden