[Nottingham] Is it theft to be live alive? (Was: Media Centre Linux distro?)

[Martin]

On 10/05/12 07:45, Camilo Mesias wrote:
> I thought ANPR sounded like a useful tool to track 'suspect' vehicles
> and highlight their movements. I would be surprised if it hasn't helped
> to track down some criminals. As for those people who 'forget' to tax /
> insure and MOT their vehicle, throw the book at them. There are enough
> reminders. They are ripping off the honest motorists.

Except...

That aspect is now covered by you MUST declare SORN when you take your
vehicle off the road, or you must pay. Also, your MOT/insurance is now
checked by whatever computer database when you pay your vehicle tax.

So... It's similar to the TV licence argument/example. For the very
small percentage that fraudulently declare SORN, or simply don't bother,
does that justify *everyone* being assumed to be guilty?

A far better argument is that various other car crime is in practice a
significant chunk of police work and so ANR genuinely helps with that,
but the practice is scarily Orwellian and very much a "fishing trip".


Of greater concern is what I consider to be the abuse of that technology
whereby for example you visit a retail park for the first time, don't
buy anything, and yet Marketing material for that one retail park for
the first time ever 'magically' appears in your post a few days later...
So how did 'they' track me to my home?...

Another example is the automatic posting of "parking fines" if you visit
whatever car park... (For whatever arbitrary 'infraction'...)

There is a lot of scope for abuse there, and that is for just ANR data.


Then, add in all manner of access to other movement/contact data...

For just one small example: Would such surveillance by teaching staff be
justified for tracking down truants from school?... Or even just for
pupils arriving late?...


All in the UK,
Martin

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