New research reveals that motorists in London, Birmingham, and Newcastle are being monitored by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras that scan license plates an astonishing 45 times every second. Initiatives aimed at reducing emissions have led to the installation of such cameras in Clean Air Zones, which collectively scan over 118 million plates each month. The data was obtained via a Freedom of Information request by the civil liberties group Big Brother Watch.
The article in the Daily Mail highlights privacy concerns about the extensive surveillance that these systems entail, with some local councils allowing "police unfettered access to the data", raising alarms about potential misuse.
In a statement, Jake Hurfurt from Big Brother Watch highlighted that the UK already possesses one of the world's largest surveillance networks through ANPR technology, warning that the pervasive monitoring of innocent motorists poses a considerable threat to individual privacy. Hurfurt said, "Local authorities must be extremely careful not to undermine our privacy, even when pursuing noble aims like cutting air pollution. Robust oversight is needed to make sure that even if ANPR is used in this situation, mission creep does not allow it to become part of a surveillance behemoth."
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