Gatso 2 arrives
Pervasive surveillance imminent as national database fires up to watch us all
ANPR camera: they're watching us
Britain's top traffic cop has plans for a national surveillance network of cameras that will track every car, everywhere. According to an article in the Sunday Times and analysed in The Register, Meredydd Hughes wants the cameras installed every 400 yards on motorways, as well as at supermarkets, petrol stations and in town centres.
The unobtrusive, dull-looking and small cameras will be installed as a trial on the M42 to enforce variable speed limits, after which the plan is that they'll be installed every 400 yards along every motorway. Data from the cameras will be collated nationally with the aim of tracking every car, information that will be stored for two years, whether you're guilty or not.
It'll be managed from a new control centre in Hendon, in north London, from where as many as 50 million number plates will be processed daily. And it's not some far-off dream either: it's planned to be in place by the end of 2006.
The system is going ahead under the pretence that it's just about checking tax and insurance. But as some observers have already noted, checking every vehicle's tax and insurance details every 15 seconds is massive overkill. Unless of course, it's also planned that the system could make Gatsos obsolete and act as speed cameras too -- which ties into the Government's idea of enforcing speed limits rigidly, as we reported yesterday (see link below).
The database is already being built, without any form of Parliamentary approval process having been undertaken, and it promises to be one of the most pervasive surveillance systems on the planet.
Still think we live in a free society where the right to do what you please and go where you please without state interference is among the most basic rights in our (unwritten) constitution? Not for much longer...
Links
René
This government seems to have absolutely no respect for civil liberties. They want to know where you are at all times, and they even have access to your personal medical record and will share it with "whomever they deem suitable".
Another gargantuan waste of our money while reducing our rights and freedoms.
1. Release information of some new 'super big-brother' system.
2. Ignore comments of outraged electorate.
3. Introduce less radical scheme.
4. Rub hands with glee as apathy takes over.
5. Majority of electorate OK with plan as 'not as bad as they could have been'
And unfortunately René, the British motorists will not unite as the vast majority are happy just to bimble along in their little identi-kit euroboxes, doing 30mph everywhere and bleating on about how safe it is to drive everywhere at the posted limit.
Any of us who try to make a point with which they disagree will be shouted down as a child killer, especially if we own cars that are capable of more than 90mph.
Controlling speed?.....ridiculous overkill for something which isn't a big problem on the motorways, not to mention the massive expense of the system which would be better utilised by improving road safety through better highway engineering.
>> Edited by dvs_dave on Wednesday 16th November 10:47
tinman0 said:
erm, call me thick, but i dont get it. its going to check insurance and mot(?) details every half mile. which is fine if the car is actually registered to a real person in the first place...
Yes and where are the Police? No, honestly. I have not seen one around this way for months. Its going to be a police state and as I have said before people moaned about Thatcher. Another panic the public into submission and start banging on about Global Terror again.
Added: If I recall this is why they wanted the analogue TV system to go digital they needed the airband space for these tracking cameras
>> Edited by scared but happy on Wednesday 16th November 10:46
Another benefit of this system I hadn't thought of before would be for criminal investigations i.e tracking someones movements leading upto a crime (in a car anyway), but police are pretty good at this already.
We now live in a police state where as of 2006 and beyond there will no escape from state observation. Anybody read 1984 George Orwell ?
Lets all unite as motorists and do something about it....If this was happening in France or Holland I'm sure people would take direct action.
mjdriver said:
We now live in a police state where as of 2006 and beyond there will no escape from state observation. Anybody read 1984 George Orwell ?
Lets all unite as motorists and do something about it....If this was happening in France or Holland I'm sure people would take direct action.
As you say, 1984 was a very frightening read.
However,if we let this happen,it gets a step closer to reality.
I backed the 90 day terrorist debate,but this sort of thing will make the public very sceptical that the "Police State" shout wasn't a correct one.
I would like to see the justification for such extreme surveillance,without resort to the tired excuse of "we live in dangerous times"
dvs_dave said:
Controlling speed?.....ridiculous overkill for something which isn't a big problem on the motorways, not to mention the massive expense of the system which would be better utilised by improving road safety through better highway engineering.
>> Edited by dvs_dave on Wednesday 16th November 10:47
Overkill to you and me, but to nanny state, who wants total obedience and will stamp her foor until she gets it, perfectly justified. Look what happens at the moment: when nanny isn't looking, we all go hell for leather. When nanny's about (unmarked cars, camera vans), we play nicely and stick to the rules.
So unless we want our botty's smacking, we'd better do as we're told...
mjdriver said:
This infuriates me no end...its not enough for the police ACPO (sorry labour sidekick) to ignore the real motoring issues but spend heaviliy in areas of enforcement that are money spinners such as the likes of you and me who is going to pay up a fine as we always do and not punch a copper!
We now live in a police state where as of 2006 and beyond there will no escape from state observation. Anybody read 1984 George Orwell ?
Lets all unite as motorists and do something about it....If this was happening in France or Holland I'm sure people would take direct action.
Yes - I've read 1984 and its come true!
We do indeed need to unite and not just as motorists (not enough enthusiasts to make a difference) but as citizens - we are also taxpayers who are being shorn like sheep by this government. We need to make it clear the electorate want control and VOTE THEM OUT!
Never mind the arguments about "they're all the same" - GET THEM OUT!
If the next lot don't do a lot better GET THEM OUT, TOO! until they get the message. If I don't perform I won't survive (as a businessman) why should they?
Influence as many people as possible with a well-reasoned argument for the above and tell them to vote!
After travelling on the M42 yesterday - there already appear to be two sets of these cameras on tempory masts - northbound in the Ashby/Tamworth area!
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