Australians are worried over their government’s new, massive car surveillance system that could lead to a vast database of their movements.

State and federal police forces want full-frontal images of vehicles, including the driver and front passenger, that are clear enough for identification purposes and usable as evidence in court.

So, now, by simply being a passenger in a car, the government will say you have given implied consent to be photographed and watched, simply because you wanted a lift.

“All vehicles passing through a fixed or mobile ANPR camera will have the data recorded and available for interrogation,” CrimTrac told the Queensland TravelSafe inquiry into the use of ANPR for road safety.

Who will have access to this information?  Is it only law enforcement or will it be available via freedom of information requests?  Will you be able to request your own file and be able to rectify any errors in said file?

“Existing camera applications, such as Safe-T-Cam, red light and speed cameras could be upgraded where necessary to provide constant live streaming to a central database.

Why is it necessary to constantly watch every single person in your jurisdiction?  Seriously, is there any reason, other than the “big brother” implications, that make such systems necessary?

“National connectivity would be achieved through secure digital networks for fixed cameras. Law enforcement agencies would also use mobile units.”

“As a public surveillance system that could be linked to facial recognition, this has enough technology behind it to impinge on everybody’s daily life,” Mr Vaile said.

“CrimTrac has told us there will be 5000 cameras around the country, overwhelmingly in populated areas, taking some 70 million photos every day.

“If you use the main roads, you’re likely to be snapped several times a day, and all those photos and any related data will be held by CrimTrac for up to five years.”

Mr Vaile said it was false to represent the proposal as number plate recognition: “It’s a photograph-all-drivers system.”

A person cannot be truly free if he cannot travel and move unimpeded.

Should the state and federal ministers agree on a nationwide system, planning and building it would take a number of years to complete, Mr Booy said.

Good, that will leave plenty of time for Australians to protest against this technology.

A VicRoads and Victoria Police trial had encountered problems with the accuracy and timeliness of information.

“There may be missing or incomplete fields in data sets, which means the software may flag a vehicle that is legitimately registered,” VicRoads chief executive Gary Liddle said.

And, before you think it won’t happen to you, it will, and then you’ll have to deal with being in a database until and/or if it ever gets sorted out.

These cameras are not being put in to protect the public.  They are being installed to make money for the city.  So, why the fuss?  Why should you worry?  What happens when you happen to be in an area where a murder is committed and you are classified as a suspect.  Sure, you’re released because you didn’t do it, but, years later, you try to find a job or move neighborhoods and people will whisper, “oh that’s the guy that was arrested for murder,” and “did he get away with it?”  How much is that going to affect your life?  Think about it.

Remember, the 9/11 terrorists walked by many security cameras and were not stopped.  London is one of the most surveilled cities in the world and even they couldn’t prevent the London Bombings.