UK cameras to track every car on the road

If you though the UK was already the surveillance camera capital of the world, you ain't seen nothin' yet. But the authorities have seen it all, and are about to see even more, thanks to a planned network that will combine nationwide data from thousands of roadside cameras. The new network will be able to track the movements of every single car in the UK, and will store data, including license-plate numbers, for up to two years, in order to create a massive database that will be able to track travel patterns of motorists over time. Officials defend the network as a key tool to fight crime and terrorism, and brush off concerns about privacy: "If the security services did not have access to this, we'd be negligent," one official told the Independent. Privacy issues aside, the new system won't be very effective against terrorists attacking subway systems, which, if we recall correctly, is a very real problem in the UK. However, we have no doubt that the authorities are already addressing that issue as well, no doubt with another network of cameras in and around every tube station.

[Conrad Quilty-Harper @ Dec 22nd 2005 3:50PM]

The fact is the London bombers were caught on camera anyway. If I remember correctly they were on camera all the way back in Leeds. That didn't stop them from travelling down south and killing 50 londoners...

[George @ Dec 22nd 2005 4:02PM]

/me moves to somewhere else

[abigsmurf @ Dec 22nd 2005 4:06PM]

terrorists attacking any underground system is a problem. Not sure why you singled out the UK. It's not as if we're the first country ever to have our underground attacked.



It's a bit like saying the US has a problem with buildings being crashed into by planes...

[ipodman715 @ Dec 22nd 2005 4:09PM]

Yeah, it's more than just spying on people. You need to take action.

[Dave @ Dec 22nd 2005 4:13PM]

Right. And the slaying of that innocent Brazilian man in the London subways was also caught on camera--unless you really believe all five were broken? Of course, if all five cameras really were malfunctioning simultaneously, I don't know what makes them think adding more cameras will be of any benefit.



http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22989-1746975,00.html

[Synthaxx R-or @ Dec 22nd 2005 4:27PM]

As CMOS camera's are sensitive to infrared light, all you'd need to do is point some high intensity IR leds at your numberplate to regain your privacy.



Though they've probably thought of that...

[abigsmurf @ Dec 22nd 2005 4:29PM]

Dave : that article is false. The 'leak' saying that was lying. There was CCTV footage and it has been shown to the family. It seems a large amount of the information that was 'leaked' to the press has proven to be false (which is why they've been awfully quiet over the incident recently)

[roboman @ Dec 22nd 2005 4:50PM]

Let's get real folks. The cameras are there to establish a governmental system of total control over their citizens, using the excuse of "fighting terrorism" as their reasons. Once the cameras are in place, and if people want to dissent "legally" against government oppression, they'll be tracked and located and stopped and imprisoned or executed by a government that has total power over its people.



The Nazis, Communists and other oppressive governments would have succeeded at a greater level with these privacy-invading systems in place. Does anyone remember Hitler? Stalin? Pol Pot? Do you trust YOUR government to do the honest, truthful, just and fair thing?



To "justify" the use of these systems to capture pictures of terrorists committing suicide with bombs is a red herring. After the attack is done, the cameras prove no help at all, other than to say "hey, this guy did it."



You need to find the source of the anger of the terrorists, and understand it and take steps to lesson the desire to commit suicide to prove their point. Taking away the rights of EVERYONE and handing government immense power over the people by logging their daily activities is a bigger crime and more deadly than any terrorist attack the government intends to "thwart".

[Seni0r @ Dec 22nd 2005 4:55PM]

Once the network is in place, they're only a software upgrade away from license recognition to facial recognition and then they'll be tracking every *person* in the UK ;-)

[James @ Dec 22nd 2005 5:16PM]

I'm sure these cameras will only be used on major motorways. Unless they use it to tax me in the future, I'm not bothered. I do not think this will help terrorism though (fake plates.. stolen cars.. etc etc)

[Alcaron @ Dec 22nd 2005 5:21PM]

If it's any consolation to our friends in the UK, the US is rapidly gaining on you.



And most of our sheep, I mean citizens, oh what the hell, I mean sheep, are all to eager to piss away their privacy and freedom for some trumped up claim of "security".



If you will excuse me I am going to go ponder why airplane cockpits still have paper mache doors if my gov. is really interested in protecting me.

[Timothy @ Dec 22nd 2005 6:00PM]

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." How many times does Ben Franklin have to say this?

[Comrade_Penguin @ Dec 22nd 2005 6:40PM]

I'm sure this is really just being put up for the new way of imposing road tax they suggested a while back as people objected to much to having trackers put in their cars. The idea was to charge per mile and more per mile if you were using congested routes.

[Terry Staples @ Dec 22nd 2005 7:19PM]

Anybody who thinks that they are unique, special or otherwise beyond the reach of government are deluding themselves.

When those who have no rules insist on others sticking to rules....look at Sadam accusing his captors of torture and realise that he is using the system his captors have initiated to redirect his own iniquities. Sorry to say....brilliant. What does this have to do with Cameras? To keep the staus quo, one must become more beastly than the beast who has different values.

Bottom line: Your egg is gonna get broken.

[Terry S @ Dec 22nd 2005 7:22PM]

Anybody who thinks that they are unique, special or otherwise beyond the reach of government are deluding themselves.

When those who have no rules insist on others sticking to rules....look at Sadam accusing his captors of torture and realise that he is using the system his captors have initiated to redirect his own iniquities. Sorry to say....brilliant. What does this have to do with Cameras? To keep the staus quo, one must become more beastly than the beast who has different values.

Bottom line: Your egg is gonna get broken.

[Dot Mike @ Dec 22nd 2005 8:00PM]

A bit scary. I feel there should be strict usage guidelines for all public mounted cameras, and mandatory jail terms for any public official caught abusing the system.



For example, instant dismissal and a court trial for a surveillance worker found looking down the top of a hot young blonde in a convertible, writing down her license plate number and looking up her phone number...

[Spyke @ Dec 22nd 2005 8:09PM]

Yeah, I can see this being *really* effective; because number-plate swapping isn't very rife right now in the UK or anything like that.



(/sarcasm if anyone didn't get it!)

[Alex @ Dec 23rd 2005 3:51AM]

How come I hear about my own country's news off the American site



Something going on I don't know about??

[Julian Bond @ Dec 23rd 2005 4:03AM]

Looks like it's back to the bicycle for me. It's one of the things I love about bicycles that they are completely anonymous. You can ride anywhere and nobody sees you. You don't need a license, insurance or papers of any kind. And no matter how many legal or illegal drugs you've consumed, providing you can still actually ride, you're legal and nobody will stop you.



BTW. The real story here is that there are plans afoot to introduce road charging, like the London congestion charge, covering large areas of the country. The current way of doing this requires number plate recognition cameras. All the other stuff about terrorists and tracking criminals is just a happy extra benefit that can be used to sell the idea of road charging. Now currently motorcycles, electric and hybrid cars are exempt and since my main transport is a large scooter and I'm planning on a hybrid as the family 4 wheeler, this shouldn't affect me much either.



Welcome to the panopticon. Of course, what should really happen is that every one of those cameras should become a webcam with public access. But in some ways that's even scarier even if it does create limits on government abuse. Which is of course why it won't happen. Note here that every time something vaguely interesting happens in London all the traffic cams go off line.

[Shinobi @ Dec 23rd 2005 4:09AM]

I agree with the comment above on how everyone is happy to remove their standard right to freedom in the face of 'security'.



The fact is, regardless of what Dubya and his Blair Snitch Project say, we are actually safer now than we have been for years. It was much worse in the UK under the IRA, and they didn't do much (if anything) about it then.



So why all the neo-conservatism and 'control through terror'? Because that's how you control a people - wake up everyone and realise your right for certain basic civil liberties, or else we'll end up in a policed state.

[frankie @ Dec 23rd 2005 4:56AM]

How long before we realize that cameras don�t make a safe society, its respect and social inclusion, big brother only drives crime out of sight of the cameras.



Police in Glasgow rely far too much on cameras and once it goes to court usually the case is flung out because the camera footage is blurred and unusable, these cameras will only be used for taxation �..

[SS @ Dec 23rd 2005 5:56AM]

Ain't the UK also introducing a microchip into every single car so that they can track usage and introduce a new sort of Road Tax.



Which is just another way that my country is keeping track on us but I guess its for the greater good

[Simon @ Dec 23rd 2005 7:28AM]

I work in Cribbs Causeway, a shopping centre outside of Bristol, and we've already got a few of these camera's as you go on and off the motorway and in and out of different car parks. I go through 4 going to work and back.

[Tiuk @ Dec 23rd 2005 10:26AM]

Telescreens, anyone? Looks like Orwell was just off by a couple of decades.

[Brian Stewart @ Dec 23rd 2005 11:01AM]

I think this may drastically increase the number of car number plate thefts in the UK. Highly recommend that all car owners change their number plates screws to inexpensive anti-tamper ones.

Ensist that your new car should be fitted with these as standard.

Report any suspicious characters messing about with number plates in quiet car parks to the police. If you return to your car and find both number plates missing, then it is your responsibility to report this asap.