Article says it’s one of the largest networks in the world but it still needs to be larger.
Starting to sound like just one more camera and we’ll be able to end murder. One more camera.
this post was submitted on 28 Sep 2026
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my mate Daz has a DSLR, a long pole and some gaffer tape, i'll tell him to get on saving planet earth this evening. thanks for the heads up!
...until we become our own cameras watched by a great big camera in the sky...
The articles to justify license plate readers have started.
Article goes on to define "illegal ghost plates":
Ghost plates, on the other hand, show correct details for the vehicle - but they are made up of reflective materials which are difficult or impossible for most ANPR cameras to read.
So adding license plate readers, leads to drivers hiding their license plate, which leads to being "emboldened", which leads to more crime. Seems the license plate readers are causing "emboldenedness".
I’d guess by your use of ‘licence plate’ that you’re not from the UK? There’s no need to justify them - they already exist everywhere here as speed cameras and low emission zone enforcement cameras. The UK road network is blanketed in ANPR camera coverage, especially in cities.
They’re just saying the company that already operates them is testing a new type of camera that can read plates deliberately designed to be unreadable by the old tech.
Why comment on a BBC article in the United Kingdom community when you’re clearly not from the UK? We’ve had ANPR cameras for ages, speed cameras, bus lane enforcement, congestion, and clean air zones. There’s really not the controversy with them here as there is in America for example.
Plus it’s a minority of drivers that use ghost plates/evading measures. It will always be an arms race with those people. Speed cameras specifically can improve safety for the majority of road users.
I thought this was going to be about entirely fictional plates like some US sovereign citizens do. That's a whole other, arguably real, problem. "The spy cameras can't see you" is not much of a concern.
ANPR cameras have been used in the UK for decades to mainly enforce things like tax, inner-city emissions restrictions and speed. I realise this has recently become a contentious issue via Flock in the US, but it seems to me a fairly efficient way to enforce these things. There are two big differences with the American model - data is kept within the police (not a private third-party), and policing is not nearly as well resourced.
If you are concerned about privacy, then a mode of transport that doesn't require you to have a unique identifier plastered over your vehicle seems like the better option to me.