Stop the Database State

Automatic Number Plate Recognition - what is it?

Most of us recognise the familiar sight of a speed camera, but have you noticed a different kind of camera at the roadside?

These are Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras (ANPR) and they are used to track the movements of car journeys, ostensibly to help the Police to detect and track criminals and terrorist suspects. The problem is that they also track the journeys made by law-abiding citizens and thus raise significant concerns around privacy and the right to freedom of movement.

Manchester NO2ID has produced the following factsheet covering the issues with ANPR cameras and the database behind them. As is the case with so many database state initiatives, ANPR is not all it is cracked up to be and the factsheet comprehensively deals with both technical and civil liberties issues associated with their use.