The Global Gen World

The concept of a big brother watching our every move has been the focal point of science fiction novels and movies for year and a main theme among future predicting articles. But while much of our financial information can and is being tracked online, it is customary to assume that our daily movements and actions still enjoy a sense of anonymity. A popular movie released a few years ago starring Tom Cruise titled Minority Report depicted a future where human beings are tracked in public places via retinal scanners that identified each person as he passed by. Thankfully we do not (yet) live in such a world but the recent implementation of a new technology called Automatic number plate recognition is bringing us one step further.
Unlike Minority Report’s retinal scans, the Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system does not recognize pedestrians but it does make tracking registered vehicles extremely easy for law enforcement purposes. A recent attempt to crack down on drivers lacking car insurance which is required by law has gotten UK police to set up the ANPR system at multiple locations. The ANPR can detect cars as fast as one per second even while traveling at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. The system cross checks the passing cars with existing motor insurance records to find drivers with missing auto insurance and remove them from the road. It’s hard to criticize such a step taken by authorities but I can’t help but wonder whether we have not seen the last from the ever growing bigger brother…