Last week, a Washington Post headline read, “Homeland Security Seeks National License Plate Tracking System.” Within 48 hours, CNN reported that the “license-plate tracking plan was withdrawn amid an outcry about privacy.” So it seemed that there wouldn’t be any such system — except for one little detail.
The license plate tracking system already exists.
As I discussed on America Weekend with Jennifer Lynch of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, there are currently databases of license plates maintained by both law enforcement and private companies. Lynch explained the details of these databases, how they work, how the data is gathered wherever we drive and park our cars — because someone somewhere must be doing something illegal, so everyone must be monitored at all times — and where they get the legal authority to do so.
Listen to our conversation here.