3 ms·

One more reason to love GDPR: this kind of thing is illegal in the EU.

by littlestymaar 1y ago

NitpickLawyer 1y ago
Not if the governments do it (strictly speaking, that'd be "data collected for the core functioning of the service").
- JumpCrisscross 1y ago
  It still looks like there are more data controls in the EU for ANPRs (number plate versus license plate) [1]. (EDIT: Nvm.) [1] https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/automatic-number-plate-recognition-anpr_1?locale=en https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/automatic-number-plate-...
  - beagle3 1y ago
    This is a list of datasets, not of restrictions, it seems? When they say “ Information captured at the Roadside Automatic Number Plate Recognition system. Only vehicles matching specified criteria (e.g. expired test) are captured.” - meaning, that’s what in the dataset. But they have to read every plate to check its expiration status etc. they just don’t put it in this dataset. But also … how is ANPR in Europe PII? Is there a public/semi-public database that connects plates to owners?
    - deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
    - einarfd 1y ago
      In Norway the plates to owner database is public, and you can either use the free government service or for profit ones. To look them up. Basically ownership of vehicles is not viewed as private information. So it isn’t covered by privacy legislation. But tracking where the car is, that is covered. That doesn’t stop, speed traps reading car plates, nor parking tracking with cameras. But that info can’t be sold for other purposes.
      - beagle3 1y ago
        Interesting. That's not the case in most countries as far as I know - there isn't a way to look up a car owner from the plate (for free or for pay; law enforcement of course can look it up). Income in Sweden is IIRC also public, perhaps in Norway too - and that's also private almost everywhere else.
sleazebreeze 1y ago
ANPRs are very popular and common in the EU. More so than in the US, even.
- NitpickLawyer 1y ago
  Yes, they are the key tech behind "average speed enforcement zones", where you get ticketed for speeding based on your "entry/exit" timestamps on a section of road.
- jeroenhd 1y ago
  The linked new articles talk about some private company selling camera access to law enforcement. I don't think that's a popular setup in the EU, EU law enforcement/traffic authorities seems more likely to run the cameras themselves.
  - DaSHacka 1y ago
    In the US, it's because of our protections that, ironically, we're at this point. This is essentially laundering the 4th Amendment through private industry, which has been a masaive issue for many years now.
  - infecto 1y ago
    EU is the birthplace of this type of tech usage.
monegator 1y ago
Are you aware that we had overhead cameras on the streets for a couple of decades, or more? They are used to read - and recognize - plates. The official use is to check if the car is insured, or if a stolen / marked car is going through the road, in both cases the police is dispatched to check on the vehichle
stef25 1y ago
It's full of ANPR camera's here (BE) what are you talking about ? They are used on highways to monitor average speed and in cities to check that no "illegal" cars enter the city. Illegal being ones that don't comply with euronorms anymore.

One more reason to love GDPR: this kind of thing is illegal in the EU.

NitpickLawyer 1y ago

Not if the governments do it (strictly speaking, that'd be "data collected for the core functioning of the service").

JumpCrisscross 1y ago
It still looks like there are more data controls in the EU for ANPRs (number plate versus license plate) [1]. (EDIT: Nvm.) [1] https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/automatic-number-plate-recognition-anpr_1?locale=en https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/automatic-number-plate-...
- beagle3 1y ago
  This is a list of datasets, not of restrictions, it seems? When they say “ Information captured at the Roadside Automatic Number Plate Recognition system. Only vehicles matching specified criteria (e.g. expired test) are captured.” - meaning, that’s what in the dataset. But they have to read every plate to check its expiration status etc. they just don’t put it in this dataset. But also … how is ANPR in Europe PII? Is there a public/semi-public database that connects plates to owners?
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
  - einarfd 1y ago
    In Norway the plates to owner database is public, and you can either use the free government service or for profit ones. To look them up. Basically ownership of vehicles is not viewed as private information. So it isn’t covered by privacy legislation. But tracking where the car is, that is covered. That doesn’t stop, speed traps reading car plates, nor parking tracking with cameras. But that info can’t be sold for other purposes.
    - beagle3 1y ago
      Interesting. That's not the case in most countries as far as I know - there isn't a way to look up a car owner from the plate (for free or for pay; law enforcement of course can look it up). Income in Sweden is IIRC also public, perhaps in Norway too - and that's also private almost everywhere else.

sleazebreeze 1y ago

ANPRs are very popular and common in the EU. More so than in the US, even.

NitpickLawyer 1y ago
Yes, they are the key tech behind "average speed enforcement zones", where you get ticketed for speeding based on your "entry/exit" timestamps on a section of road.
jeroenhd 1y ago
The linked new articles talk about some private company selling camera access to law enforcement. I don't think that's a popular setup in the EU, EU law enforcement/traffic authorities seems more likely to run the cameras themselves.
- DaSHacka 1y ago
  In the US, it's because of our protections that, ironically, we're at this point. This is essentially laundering the 4th Amendment through private industry, which has been a masaive issue for many years now.
- infecto 1y ago
  EU is the birthplace of this type of tech usage.

monegator 1y ago

Are you aware that we had overhead cameras on the streets for a couple of decades, or more? They are used to read - and recognize - plates. The official use is to check if the car is insured, or if a stolen / marked car is going through the road, in both cases the police is dispatched to check on the vehichle

stef25 1y ago

It's full of ANPR camera's here (BE) what are you talking about ? They are used on highways to monitor average speed and in cities to check that no "illegal" cars enter the city. Illegal being ones that don't comply with euronorms anymore.