digital recognition network

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  • Dustin Franz/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

    Billions of license plate scans are part of a private surveillance database

    by 
    Jon Fingas
    Jon Fingas
    09.17.2019

    The US government might have reconsidered its plans for license plate recognition, but companies haven't -- and they've raised serious privacy concerns in the process. Motherboard has posted an exposé detailing the Digital Recognition Network, a privately run database that collects legions of plate recognition scans (roughly 9 billion to date) from repo drivers with camera-equipped cars. The system automatically captures both the plates and locations of every car they drive by, making it possible to track the movement of car owners across the US over months or even years. Anyone with access could find out where you live, work and socialize.