[ypeterholmes]

If you think authoritarianism will lead to order and peace, you're gonna have a bad time. The presence of a secret police is already causing wide scale violation of our constitutional rights.

[jeffbee]

It is not "secret police". The reason your car has a highly visible number plate is because for decades society has recognized its compelling interest in knowing the whereabouts of private vehicles.

[kyboren]

No, the ability to know the current whereabouts and location history of practically all private vehicles is a new capability afforded by deployment of ALPR mass surveillance.

Previously, we had some balance between privacy and accountability. A bystander or a victim of a collision could remember license plate numbers and give them in a police report. The police could tail you (but only you, because $$$) to discover your movements. But government agents couldn't track the movements of all the people, all the time. Now they can.

The societal balance of power has shifted and is now seriously lopsided in favor of the rulers. And cheerleaders like you don't mind, as long as you can purchase a little temporary safety...

[buellerbueller]

Masked, unidentified individuals abducting people are either kidnappers (if doing it without the law behind them) or secret police (if doing it with the law behind them).

EDIT: Rather then downvote, offer an example of a masked, unidentified person abducting someone who is neither a kidnapper nor secret police.

[ypeterholmes]

Then why are they wearing masks?

[rcpt]

Getting ticketed for blowing through a red light isn't "authoritarianism"

[gs17]

This discussion isn't really about red light or speed cameras, although they suck in different ways. They are technically "license plate cameras", but they only capture for a specific purpose. ALPR cameras are about a surveillance dragnet over the whole city, tracking people who are not accused of anything.

[DaSHacka]

Nor is getting reinstated to your home country of origin when you are here illegitimatly.

[immibis]

You're making the assumption that widescale violation of our constitutional rights can't lead to order and peace.

[a456463]

Where has that actually happened?