New software watches for license plates, turning you into Little Brother by Cyrus Farivar.
From the post:
We now live in a world where if you have an IP-enabled security camera, you can download some free, open-source software from GitHub and boom—you have a fully functional automated license plate reader (ALPR, or LPR).
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How very cool!
I know some privacy advocates may be troubled by this development but think of the old adage:
When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.
Applying that to surveillance:
When surveillance is outlawed, only outlaws will have surveillance.
Yes?
With the OpenALPR software, neighborhoods that see a lot of police violence can track and alert residents to repeat offenders who are entering the area. Or drug dealers, pimps or other scourges of modern urban areas.
And it would be a counter to suddenly malfunctioning dashboard and body cameras worn by the police.
As I have mentioned before, there are far more citizens than government-based agents. If we start surveillance on them, they will have no place to hide and no where left to run.
Being IP enabled, you could set up a central monitoring station, possibly sharing information with citizens interested in real time “traffic” information.
PS: If you keep the video or scanning results, be sure it is streamed to a heavily encrypted drive.