14 DAY TRIAL // Local Los Angeles lawmakers are considering using data recorded via automatic license plate readers to shame people who solicit prostitutes on the streets of LA.
According to the law proposal submitted to the local city council, data from license plate readers will be used to send anonymous "Dear John" letters to all offenders.
The purpose is to have family members discover these letters and shame the people who are supporting local crime.
The law proposal was modeled on a similar system used by other towns, such as Minneapolis, Des Moines, and Oakland.
As expected, privacy groups quickly reacted, with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) spearheading all criticism. The EFF has been a longtime critic of automatic license plate readers in general.
In the past, the EFF published a long-winded report on the sorry state of automatic license plate readers, which can easily be hacked and abused by unauthorized parties.
The Foundation also claims that authorities aren't using data from license plate readers just to send out traffic tickets, but are also employing the system to secretly watch all citizens.
Data from license plate readers can be used to recreate a person's daily activities, and reveal information about their daily habits, health state, family members, and their locations.
The Los Angeles City Council approved the law proposal, which will now be examined by the City Attorney's Office, as the Los Angeles Daily News is reporting.