Big brother... for the good?

[Quinten]

Am following a road police officer on twitter who frequently tweets about how they keep the roads safe. All very interesting and always in line how we would like the police to work.

This morning a few tweets arrived about how a foreign registered car is stopped to check how long it's been in the UK for...

Northants_RPU said:

Just got a foreign registered vehicle stopped. Checking our ANPR cameras to see how long the vehicle has been in the UK.

Northants_RPU said:

National operation this week targeting foreign registered cars on the UK roads. If they are here longer than permitted they are seized.

Northants_RPU said:

Our driver states he only brings his car here for a couple of months at a time then takes it out of the country. Let's check. #ANPR

Northants_RPU said:

This foreign registered car has been activating ANPR cameras for well over a year on a daily basis. Recovery booked

Northants_RPU said:

7 foreign registered vehicles seized so far today in Northants for overstaying in the UK. National operation this week. #optrivium

So basically, everytime you pass an ANPR camera (and they are everywhere) your plate gets added to some database and at any stage they can see how often you drive it at any location where ANPR has registered you. I wonder how long this history goes back...

Big brother is definitely watching you

[GAjon]

Big brother's not much use at tracking commercial flights though.

[SebastienClement]

The one I've got an issue with at the moment is our local force who use Twitter and Facebook to release names and photos of people BEFORE they've been convicted, and in some cases before they've been charged.

[stevesingo]

Why should we care?

I'm sure the liberals will be along whinging about it, but if you took this away tomorrow and next week someone stole your P&J and it couldn't be found because the ANPR was stopped? I'd be pretty annoyed at that.

[TimLambert7]

Sounds OKish to me, if you're not doing anything wrong then you've got nothing to worry about.

SebastienClement said:

The one I've got an issue with at the moment is our local force who use Twitter and Facebook to release names and photos of people BEFORE they've been convicted, and in some cases before they've been charged.

Isn't this illegal? All for naming and shaming scumbags but before they've been charged or convicted seems awfully dodgy.

[SebastienClement]

TimLambert7 said:

Isn't this illegal? All for naming and shaming scumbags but before they've been charged or convicted seems awfully dodgy.

Each time it happens I complain, the posts are removed. But it happens again sooner or later. I've written three letters to our crime commissioner without response.

[TimLambert7]

SebastienClement said:

Each time it happens I complain, the posts are removed. But it happens again sooner or later. I've written three letters to our crime commissioner without response.

Assuming you haven't been doing so, screen shot the messages. I'd even be tempted to forward them to a local paper or worse, the Maily Dail...

[CharlieCrocodile]

GAjon said:

Big brother's not much use at tracking commercial flights though.

Can't say I've seen many ANPR camera's in the sky recently.

[GAjon]

CharlieCrocodile said:

GAjon said:

Big brother's not much use at tracking commercial flights though.

Can't say I've seen many ANPR camera's in the sky recently.

Well there you go then, if there were it wouldn't be missing.

Got to be careful what I type 'they' may be watching from space.