Electronic tagging moves closer

When government tests start they'll know where you are

By PH Staff / Thursday, 11 August 2005 / Loading comments

This will hide in your number plate

Tests of vehicle number plates incorporating radio tags that can transmit vehicle data to a receiver up to 300 feet away are about to start. The government gave the scheme the green light last week, according to a report in Wired.

The system, based on RFID (radio frequency identification) technology, will allow officials to monitor a car's movements, assuming that an RFID-capable infrastructure is installed on the UK's roads. According to one maker of the so-called 'e-plates', a single reader can identify dozens of vehicles fitted with an e-Plate moving at any speed at a distance of up to 100 metres. Additional roadside infrastructure is minimal, said the e-plate maker, although installation and monitoring costs will undoubtedly be huge.

Such a system is already in limited use in the US, where the Department of Homeland Security has issued RFID tags to non-US vehicles as they enter the country. The US government is watching the progress of the UK trials closely with the aim of implementing it more widely over the pond.

On the plus side, RFID tagging could mean no stopping at toll points and higher capture rates for cars without insurance or tax, as well as stolen cars.

On the downside, your movements will be visible to anyone with the privileges to access the RFID network -- and maybe even some who aren't. While technology exists to make the data anonymous once a transaction such a toll payment is complete, civil liberties groups believe that it's unlikely the government will make use of it.