Cops, license plate readers are obsolete. You can now track us closer.
This week, the California State Senate approved a bill that would create the nation’s first electronic license plate. Having already passed the state’s assembly, the bill now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown (D) for his signature.
The idea is that rather than have a static piece of printed metal adorned with stickers to display proper registration, the plate would be a screen that could wirelessly (likely over a mobile data network) receive updates from a central server to display that same information. In an example shown by a South Carolina vendor, messages such as “STOLEN,” “EXPIRED,” or something similar could also be displayed on a license plate.
The bill’s language says that for now, the program would be limited to a “pilot program” set to be completed no later than January 1, 2017.
“The pilot program shall be limited to no more than 0.5 percent of registered vehicles for the purpose of road testing and evaluation,” the bill states.
Other states, including South Carolina and New Jersey, also have similar bills in progress. A South Carolina company, Compliance Innovations, did not immediately respond to Ars’ request for comment. That company has been leading the charge in the Palmetto State to implement electronic license plates.
State isn’t getting location data directly, for now
Not surprisingly, though, privacy concerns abound. After all, if the state’s authorities can send and receive data to your digital license plate, then they have to know where you are. That would make the use of the increasingly ubiquitous license plate readers completely irrelevant—law enforcement likely would be able to either directly access location data in real-time and/or get historical travel data.
The state senator who introduced the bill, Sen. Ben Hueso, a Democrat who represents San Diego, did not respond to Ars’ multiple requests for an interview or comment. It still remains unclear as to exactly why this bill was proposed and what its objectives are. The precise technical details of the program are similarly unclear, as is how long plate information would be retained and who would have access to it.
“We've been talking to Sen. Hueso on the bill, and it's gotten some amendments that address some of the location privacy issues—within the pilot, the DMV would not be receiving any location information,” Lee Tien, a staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), told Ars. “But the company that operates the plates would [have access, and] they are going to be controlling what's on the plates.”
The privacy advocate likened the proposed system to a moving wiretap that reveals an individual’s vehicle location constantly.
California has already chosen a small, unknown startup
Various local media have reported that the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) would save $20 million in postage by not having to mail renewal stickers. The DMV did not immediately respond to Ars’ request to confirm this figure. Further, the bill—known officially as SB 806—did not originate with the DMV.
“The California Department of Motor Vehicles does not have a position on SB 806,” Artemio Armenta, a DMV spokesperson, told Ars in ...continued... by Cyrus Farivar
Switch to Electronic License Plates Could Improve SC Highway Safety
6-17-2013 South Carolina:
COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina is considering a proposal, still in its early stages, to switch from metal license plates to new electronic license plates, or e-tags, as a way to improve highway safety.
"It's the first of its kind," says David Findlay, co-founder of Compliance Innovations, the South Carolina company that created the e-tags. "It's not an LCD or an LED. What it's made of is electronic paper. It's a new technology that allows you to hold the image with no power whatsoever for over 10 years. The only time it needs power is when you're changing the status or the image on the plate."
That power comes from the vibrations of your car, and from a transparent film over the tag that collects solar power.
The reason e-tags should improve highway safety is because the tags would be electronically linked to the DMV, so if a driver's license has been suspended or his insurance has lapsed, the DMV would send a signal to the license plate. The word "SUSPENDED" or "UNINSURED" would appear on the license plate.
If your car is stolen, the DMV could make the tag read "STOLEN". The state could also use the tags during Amber Alerts or other emergencies.
"We actually put that wording on the license plate across the top and, depending on how the state wants it, it could be in bright red, and we can actually flash the plate, have it flashing as it goes down the road," says Brian Bannister, co-founder of the company.
Even though the DMV would be able to send a signal to the electronic license plate to change its wording, the agency would not be able to track where you are. "No one entity could actually track an individual vehicle," Bannister says. "It would require three court orders: to the DMV; to us; and the (cellular) carrier themselves to actually be able to locate a vehicle."
At this point, the company is proposing that the state use e-tags as a pilot program with state-owned vehicles. There are still several things that need to be worked out, like reducing the size of the prototype e-tags so they're the same size as current license plates, and bringing down production costs. While a metal license plate costs anywhere from $3 to $7 to make, Findlay says his company is hoping to reduce the cost to make e-tags to under $100.
But the savings to the state could be significant. It's estimated the state loses $150 million a year because of drivers who drive with expired tags or without insurance.
Findlay and Bannister says if the state switches to e-tags and that reduces the number of uninsured drivers, insurance companies would lower their rates. ..Source.. by Robert Kittle
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