A company called Leonardo already develops and sells automatic license plate readers (ALPRs). These are cameras that visually see your vehicle as it drives by, recording your plate for any number of reasons, though probably because you ran a red light or missed a stop sign. Now, it seems the company has plans to go a little further.
It’s not an optical upgrade, though. There are plans to add sensors to its cameras in the form of an “advanced signal intelligence system.” As reported by 404 Media, ELSAG SignalTrace is a system that sweeps up unique identifiers of electronic devices that give off signals. The idea is to track or identify specific devices in passengers in cars. You probably see where this is going.
A Frightening Amount Of Surveillance Data
Leonardo ALPR SignalTrace product sheetLeonardo
Effectively, the SignalTrace technology is set to move ALPR cameras from just car-tracking to people-tracking devices. Leonardo says that the system “integrates seamlessly with the ELSAG Enterprise Operations Center, our standard data management and analysis software.” According to the product sheet, SignalTrace “bridges license plate recognition data with sensor-captured device identifiers – such as those from mobile phones, Bluetooth wearables, and vehicle systems – to create a unique, trackable ‘electronic fingerprintʼ for investigative use.”
Related
Ford’s Latest Patent Might Actually Help You Protect Your Data
A secret compartment with RF shielding is presented as a means to transport electronic devices that cannot be detected.
Included in the kinds of signals SignalTrace can pull in to fingerprint are things like RFID tags in key cards and pet microchips. That also includes devices with Bluetooth such as wireless headphones, fitness trackers, cell phones, laptops, or tablets. Even components of a car that give off signals, like tire pressure sensors, infotainment systems, and vehicle hotspots could be monitored, logged, and tied to a specific vehicle with a specific registration.
The Digital Fingerprint
Leonardo ALPR SignalTrace product sheetLeonardo
“When multiple devices consistently move together with a vehicle, SignalTraceʼs algorithms link them to that vehicleʼs license plate and time-stamped location data. This correlation provides investigators with another layer of actionable intelligence, even if a suspect changes or removes a plate,” the sheet reads. But, it’s not just targeting individuals suspected of committing a crime – it’s every car that passes. The ALPR and SignalTrace technology “stores device and correlation data securely in the EOC Enterprise Operations Center for future queries and analysis.”
Related
AI Police Cameras Spot Thousands Of Distracted Drivers, But Opens Pandora’s Box
Minnesota is one of the first US states to use AI cameras to catch distracted drivers.
Via 404 Media and according to procurement records maintained by the transparency website Widely Reported, Leonardo sells ALPR cameras and communications equipment to law enforcement, border security, and other government agencies. Leonardo’s US arm has contracts with US Special Operations Command and the General Services Administration. As far as we can tell, Leonardo US Cyber and Security Solutions is one of the branches of the massive aerospace, defense, and security company Leonardo S.p.A, headquartered in Rome, Italy.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Leonardo ALPR SignalTrace product sheetLeonardo
ALPR systems have been around for a long time but have been limited to tracking just the vehicles and are not able to identify occupants. That is changing quickly with the advent of AI and the sheer proliferation of camera surveillance in the US, most notably with Flock cameras, and SignalTrace is also looking to cast a wide net and collect a huge amount of tracking data. With that comes many, many concerns ranging from the level of tracking to who has access to all the data being collected.
The argument for such granular surveillance is that it benefits law enforcement. However, that’s tempered by how we’ve already seen abuses of data access by police officers for stalking, and automated systems throwing up false positives leading to innocent people being pulled over at gunpoint.
Perhaps more chilling, though, is that the collection and storage of data is carried out by corporations, not law enforcement agencies. That brings up all sorts of questions about access and security before we even talk about privacy and the deeper dangers of a surveillance state.
Sources:404 Media/MSN/News Observer
