An advertising campaign in the United Kingdom began using automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to identify passing vehicles and create personalized advertisements.
The motor oil giant Castrol UK Limited activated a set of five electronic billboards in London in 2009 that flash an image of the exact type of Castrol-brand motor oil appropriate for the nearest vehicle. The roadside digital billboards, seventeen feet wide and eight feet high are owned by Clear Channel Outdoor. Castrol’s campaign added the license scanning technology which ties into the official UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) database. The agency provides private registration information to just about any company willing to pay for it.
Big Brother is keeping a very close eye on you while you drive. In America many cities have traffic monitoring video cameras at most major intersections. These cameras are allegedly designed to monitor the flow of traffic, but they can be used to spy on specific individuals. Eventually there will be so many road spy cameras that no one will be able to drive a vehicle without being spotted. If you think you will be able to drive around anonymously forget it. [1]
Endnotes
[1]The Newspaper. “UK billboards equipped with license-plate spy cameras.” 9.22.2009. www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2009/09/uk-billboards-equipped-with-lice nse-plate-spy-cameras.