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Recent Articles

Your Face Is Not a Bar Code: Arguments Against Automatic Face Recognition in Public Places

By BanTheCams.org on July 21, 2019

From 2003: Face recognition systems in public places, however, are a matter for serious concern. The issue recently came to broad public attention when it emerged that fans attending the Super Bowl had unknowingly been matched against a database of alleged criminals, and when the city of Tampa deployed a face-recognition system in the nightlife district of Ybor City. But current and proposed uses of face recognition are much more widespread, as the resources at the end of this article demonstrate in detail.

Michigan City Council axes plate scanners

By BanTheCams.org on July 21, 2019

An ordinance to allow the Michigan City Police Department to purchase license plate reader technology, including facial recognition capability, was killed Tuesday after several concerned citizens spoke against it during a public hearing. Read the full article at Herald-Argus.

Erie, Pa., Works to Balance Privacy in the Smart City

By BanTheCams.org on July 20, 2019

From cameras capable of reading faces and license plates to self-serve kiosks that take credit card payments, city officials are having to reconcile the balance between innovation and public privacy. Read the full article at GovTech.

FDOT talks about disputing ticket after a man received an invoice for a toll he didn't pass

By BanTheCams.org on July 20, 2019

The new toll roads are now being enforced in Jacksonville and Tuesday, Action News Jax told drivers about the different Sun Pass options to avoid paying toll fees. However, we didn’t mention what to do if you get a ticket in the mail for a toll booth you didn’t cross. Watch the video / read the full article at Action News Jax.

WESH 2 News investigates thousands of red light camera ticket dismissals

By BanTheCams.org on July 20, 2019

Foreign tourists are getting a free pass when it comes to dangerous driving that puts all drivers at risk. Orange County has not been ticketing foreign visitors who run red lights, or the rental car companies that put them in the driver’s seat. Watch the video / read the article at WESH.

Cops pose as construction workers to nab texting drivers

By BanTheCams.org on July 19, 2019

Police in Cobb County, Georgia, went undercover to nab texting drivers or those who won’t put down their phones in violation of the hands-free law. Watch the video/read the article at KEYE.

China: Facial recognition technology can now text jaywalkers a fine

By BanTheCams.org on July 19, 2019

If you jaywalk, a CCTV camera will scan your face and flash it up on the huge screens for all to see, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP). If that wasn’t embarrassing enough, there are now plans to ping offenders’ phones with quick-fire fines as soon as they violate the grim rule. Read the full article at New York Post.

Austrailia: World-first Big Brother Sydney traffic cameras capturing drivers' private information spark privacy concerns

By BanTheCams.org on July 19, 2019

The NSW Government’s mobile phone detection cameras, heralded as “world-first” road safety technology, work by capturing wide-angled images of all passing drivers and front passengers through the windscreens of cars to check if they’re using a phone while behind the wheel. But more than 1100 pages of emails and documents - obtained by 9News under Freedom of Information laws - reveal numerous red flags over the Big Brother technology have been raised by the NSW Information and Privacy Commission (IPC).

Denver-area neighborhoods are installing license plate readers to record every vehicle that passes by

By BanTheCams.org on July 18, 2019

License plate readers posted at both entrances to an upscale Aurora neighborhood snapped pictures of passing cars Wednesday, recording the type, color and license plate number of each vehicle and inputting that information into a database. Such technology used to be relegated to law enforcement. But these cameras were purchased by the local homeowner association in January after a few burglaries of cars and a home in the neighborhood. Red signs near the cameras warn passersby of “24/7 Video Recording.

Court Tells Turnpike Authority to Prove E-ZPass Fine is no Scam

By BanTheCams.org on July 17, 2019

An appellate court panel has demanded that the New Jersey Turnpike Authority provide evidence that it needs to charge a $50 violation fee for every missed toll. The fee is at the heart of a proposed class-action lawsuit against the Authority over its E-ZPass fines. State law prohibits the authority from profiting off violation fees. The fine is supposed to make up the cost of the missed toll as well as the effort in sending out the notices.