Fourth Amendment Wins in the Baltimore Plane Surveillance Case: NMA E-Newsletter #654
“Allowing the police to wield this power unchecked is anathema to the values enshrined in our Fourth Amendment,” wrote Fourth Circuit US Court of Appeals Chief Judge Roger Gregory in late June. The case, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle v. Baltimore Police Department, involved the use of aerial surveillance that continuously tracked and monitored the […]
A License Plate to Remember
Editor’s Note: This originally was posted in June 2018 as NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #490. The information presented is still pertinent in 2021. If you would like to receive the NMA weekly one-topic newsletter every Sunday in your inbox, subscribe today! A requirement of owning a vehicle, the lowly license plate has its place among the […]
Officials use the COVID-19 Crisis to Create Statewide Vehicle Surveillance Programs Run by Rekor Systems
By Joe Cadillic, Cowriter for NMA’s Street Surveillance Blog and Editor of the MassPrivatel Blog Cash-strapped states are using COVID as an excuse to create AI-driven vehicle recognition or license plate reader surveillance programs. As Rekor Systems President/CEO Robert Berman proudly boasts on the video, “…because our technology works so well for vehicle recognition, we do […]
Big Brother now turns CCTV Cams into One Giant Network
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director and Joe Cadillic, MassPrivetal Blog Joe recently wrote a blog on India’s vast CCTV network called Anveshak (Hindi word for investigator). He says that researchers at the Indian Institute of Science have figured out how to use this vast big brother net to target a specific vehicle or person. […]
ALPRs win the Day in the Virginia Supreme Court
Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared as NMA Newsletter #623 in December 2020. To receive the NMA weekly E-Newsletter, subscribe HERE today! Automatic License Plate Readers or ALPRs can detail a motorist’s comings and goings without any thought of whether the person driving is suspected of nefarious activity. Some motorists around the country are challenging […]
A License Plate to Remember
Editor’s Note: This post originally was sent to member as NMA Weekly E-Newsletter #490 in June 2018. If you would like to receive the one-topic per week NMA newsletter, become a member today! When you join you receive many other member benefits plus help us help you keep up with motorists’ rights issues like this. […]
When it Comes to Auto Privacy, You Get What’s Coming to You
Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared as NMA E-Newsletter #299, emailed to NMA members in October 2014. The information is still pertinent, and if anything, the privacy issue for motorists has become more acute with time. If you would like to receive the weekly NMA E-Newsletter, a one-topic discussion, consider becoming a member of the […]
How a Surveillance State Affects Motorists’ Privacy?
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director and Joe Cadillic of the Mass Privatel Blog First of all, let’s define a surveillance state, which will ultimately help us understand how a surveillance state affects motorists’ privacy. A 2013 Privacy International Blog took on that task with a look towards the United Kingdom. The UK data protection […]
Another Brick in the Wall: A National License Plate Tracking (ALPR) Network Announced
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director and Joe Cadillic, MassPrivatel Blog Private company Flock Safety recently announced that it had created a national license plate tracking network. Bad enough that local police and private companies use automated license plate readers to watch where all of us are coming and going. Now the data will be […]
Don’t Let Congestion Pricing Take Hold in the US
Before the pandemic, cities around the country were talking about implementing congestion pricing. Experts believe that charging a fee for parts of streets and highways used the most at the busiest times of day reduces demand. They believe that this tax incentivizes drivers to switch to other modes, other routes, or even travel at different […]