Another step forward for the surveillance state

[Astro Pen]

ANPR cameras installed to monitor traffic in Derby

The cameras, being installed at 12 sites around Derby, will be able to scan drivers' number plates.

www.bbc.co.uk

They could, of course, just have someone drive around the town for a week and write a journeys report instead of spending millions.
"Not used for enforcement purposes" (yet)
Remember the old adage about government, "Two reasons for everything, the one given - and the real one."
Will they take them down after the "study"? Watch this space.

 

[CupofJoe]

They use ANPR at work to make us pay for parking.
I object to that, but it also records when you enter and leave the site. So someone knows if you are working late or slipping off a bit early.
On the other hand the system failed to work for the month of December so no-one had to pay.

 

[Montero]

Some people are already buying their own state surveillance in the form of those Alexa units and video doorbell - get you to pay for your own surveillance and to want it to protect yourself. If the govt had come round and said everyone must have a video doorbell there would have been a massive outcry.

 

[BAYLOR]

Some people are already buying their own state surveillance in the form of those Alexa units and video doorbell - get you to pay for your own surveillance and to want it to protect yourself. If the govt had come round and said everyone must have a video doorbell there would have been a massive outcry.

When you look at it long term, It's not a good thing at all.

 

[thaddeus6th]

This reminds me of a story I heard a couple of weeks ago that the police want the right to be able to access Oyster information to see if people are using the tube in London in an 'unusual' way. Apparently it's to try and detect thieves, pickpockets, etc, but it sounded creepy as hell to me.

Not a fan of Alexa or suchlike.

 

[AllanR]

It's not even safe to .....https://mashable.com/article/smart-toilet-analprint-scan

 

[elvet]

I always take these things for granted when I watch UK detective series. They usually provide a key piece of evidence in the story. It seeems their use is widespread in Britain.

 

[sciwriterPark]

I moved to a more remote part of the US to avoid some of the monitoring. The road to the airport. No cell service, no radio signal, and you do what you gotta do when problems occur.

 

[LostCosmonaut]

Some people are already buying their own state surveillance in the form of those Alexa units and video doorbell - get you to pay for your own surveillance and to want it to protect yourself. If the govt had come round and said everyone must have a video doorbell there would have been a massive outcry.

My parents have those Alexa screens installed in most rooms of their house. The darn things have exactly the same functionality as a telescreen---they can eavesdrop on conversations, they contain cameras to watch your movements, and they broadcast regime propaganda. The only difference is that Amazon doesn't surveil people quite as obviously as the Thought Police.

Judging by my conversations with friends, I'm not the only member of the young generation to be thoroughly disenchanted with the encroachment of Alexa and other "smart" devices. There's definitely such a thing as too plugged-in.

 

[Montero]

I always take these things for granted when I watch UK detective series. They usually provide a key piece of evidence in the story. It seeems their use is widespread in Britain.

There are certainly a lot of CCTV cameras around, who controls them varies between property owner, local council, motoring organisation and police and probably more (ETA in public transport and on the front of buses so they can catch people who drive in the bus lane). I'm not sure I'd recognise an Amazon doorbell if I saw one. However the police would have to do a door to door for quite a lot of the recordings - knock, knock, "I see you have a security camera that might cover the back lane, could we have a copy of what was recorded last night" etc. Rather different to the easily available online stuff. Some people have it recording to their own computer, others to private online storage.
There are also quite a lot of dashcams around in cars and police appeal for anyone driving past an accident to hand over a copy.