Covering up your license plate - Why do you do it?

Okay, I know we've discussed this (kind of) in other threads, but I wanted a thread just for it.

After seeing this YouTube video, it helps explain a few things. But, the main reason that people usually give "I don't want people to find out my real name and address!" isn't the reason people want your information.

They want it not to rob you or even harm you, they want it to try to sell you shit. It's all about data mining.








Did I piss you off with this thread? Fight me!

 

I change states and license plates more often than my underwear. By the time I've posted a photo of my 4Runner on the forum I'm usually a state or two ahead in plates. I'm currently on my 4th set of plates in a year and a half of owning my 4Runner.

 

I've always wondered about this. Seems futile. If people are intent on doing you harm, there are so many ways of finding out information.

 

It is futile. Think about it. All companies sell your data:

1) Do you shop online, specifically Amazon? That info is sold (What you bought, when you bought it, how much you usually spend, where you ship it to, how you ship it, etc..)

2) Do you surf the web? (like this site), then Google/Microsoft is selling your analytics to their advertisers. Hell, if I look at one YouTube video about homes that are barndominium's, I suddenly have a flood of "video's I may like" in my YouTube feed and tons of ad's about pricing for them in my local area.

3) Every time you swipe your grocery store reward card to get that discount, they sell your data again. What you bought, what kind of prescriptions you picked up and when.

 

I don't.

 

1984 set up the guidelines that would be followed... Somebody wants something bad enough, They can obtain it.

 

IMO, it's no different than the experiments they have conducted in waiting rooms. All but one person in the room is in on it. When a bell sounds everyone stands up and then sits back down when it sounds again. Usually the second time this happens the uninformed person also stand at sit with the other not having a clue why.

 

I have my plates covered with a Llumar tint that absorbs Lidar in ~904Nm to hinder speed capture from the laser speed measurement guns LEO's use.

I used to also utilise a film that would defuse and block plate readers. I would get funny looks form LEO's sometimes because it looked fine except through a camera. lol

 

If Google goes to the trouble of blurring plates on google maps there is probably a good reason.

Someone once posted a photo of their 4runner on their driveway and I recognized a local gas station chain in the background, and to see if I could, I found the location by looking at the few locations on street view. You don't need a license plate. But there are people who have access to databases, so I understand anyone blurring the plate to not make things easy.

California has a huge plate registry data base. They have plate readers on almost every light, and a photo, time, location, and associated plate is stored for 2 months to 5 years, where law enforcement can look it up. So a lot more than your name and address can be determined with a license plate by a person with the correct credentials.

 

Fighting for your privacy is not futile, as it is not all or nothing. More so, it is not only privacy against corporations trying to track everything you do, it is also privacy against criminals that can steal your identity and for some it is privacy against government that may not have their citizen’s best interest in mind. 'They already know it all' is unwise attitude, as there is no upper bound to "they" and "know" and you can always make it worse no matter the current situation.

Specifically, there is a practice of OSINT (open source intelligence gathering and analysis) that allows law enforcement to use anything you ever freely posted and to connect it in unusual ways. This is from IRS identifying targets to audit to LEOs looking to solve a crime, and you don’t want to become a person of interest even if you are innocent.

 

FWIW, car insurance companies use OSINT as well, as do car manufacturers.
Post some cool pictures of your car at a racetrack when you blew your engine or wrecked?

They can use it against you to deny your claim.

Opsec is opsec.

 

Meh… I drive a bright orange brick with a unique B&W custom plate. Kind of hard to hide, even if I wanted to. The only bad part is, I can’t really flip anyone off anymore, as I don’t blend in.

 

You got me with the barndominium YouTube. I looked at a few each night, now I get ads all over my phone for related things. This happened vice versa a lot with YouTube especially. Looking at motorcycle gear- YouTube ads about it the next time. Ski trip to Colorado research, YouTube ads about it.
Ugh

 

I use this contraption when I take photos of my 4runner to hide my real plate from the world, oh and when I go through toll roads.

 

I've done it in the past and I've not done it other times. I just can't understand why people care either way anymore. If someone chooses to (these days you can blur it out in seconds) it doesn't affect me at all as it isn't their plate I'm looking at in the pic anyway. Same way I feel about things people do to their cars/trucks that I wouldn't do because of how I feel about them (see some stickers/lighting/etc). Not my car, if they like it, I'm just happy for them, doesn't affect me either way. FWIW, I'm not saying I'm better because of this, there was a time I worked selling aftermarket parts for cars and I definitely had a period of time when I judged things people put on their vehicles. I just realized it made me a shittier person than their car.

 

Its a big issue in NY, and its working: https://boingboing.net/2024/01/24/fake-plates-cost-new-york-city-108m-in-lost-fines.html

 

Tell us more. A specific model or name of this tint? Availability? Which one blocks plate readers? Thx

 

Are you referring to physically covering your plate to avoid traffic cameras or blurring photos you post on the web?

I avoid license physical license plate covers because I don't want to give any officers a reason to pull me over.

I've heard from my LEO and military buddies to avoid posting pictures of your vehicle; Especially your plates. It takes two seconds to blur the plate. So I partially take their advice. I still post pictures of my rig though... I suppose it doesn't matter much. If someone is bent on getting your info they definitely can, but why make it easy?

 

I was (am) referring to covering up your license plate when taking a picture of your rig. Most people don't realize that the real threat is via the web. Mainly, surfing the web. People will cover their license plate up before posting a picture of it, sure, I kind of get that. I even concede your point of "Why make it easy?".

But people will casually browse the internet and not use a VPN. It's funny. You cannot see your IP, but other people can. A VPN is the equivalent of blurring out a license plate. But the vast majority of people won't or don't do that.

I've worked in Corp IT Security for 25yrs. If I get a hold of your IP address, I can find out TONS about you, your home, your computer, the sites you have gone to, saved passwords, your neighborhood, etc. If I wanted to, I could wreck your life by accessing your computer via your IP. I've even knocked many computers/routers offline by attacking the IP's.

People getting your info via your plate isn't the real threat. It's a minor threat, if at all.

 

Agreed.

 

Risk mitigation is just that. I will stick to redacting my plate online.

 

It is important to not overstate things. Generally, it is not possible to " the sites you have gone to, saved passwords," or "accessing your computer via your IP" for a random individual. ISPs could do that, but they don't offer that information without court order. Your IP address is just like your street address, while they can find your front door with address, you still need to leave it unlocked to make burglary possible.

While using a VPN is a good idea, it should not be the first or only thing you do. You gain A LOT more privacy from simply clearing your cookies and history using browser's built-in functionality than from using VPN. This is because your browser, especially if it is Chrome, is designed to enable tracking your activities.

Practical advice:

1. Use different browsers for different things. One for "important" things and one for just entertainment.
2. Download and use BleachBit or CCleaner.

 

The funniest is people that take a pic of their truck in their driveway/garage and blur the license plate but didn’t remove the location in the photo’s metadata

 

Do you register your vehicles ? Lots of states sell "lists" to telemarketers, potential spam callers, etc. and those lists, at least in some states come from registration. If people want to cover their plates... fine, I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter 1 way or another, but, ya why make it easy and so on.

 

Link please!!

 

Yeah, I laugh at that too. I have l right clicked on many pictures online (and from this site) to look at the properties of the pictures, and there is all the information I need: Longtitude & latitude that was captured when you took the picture. Plus the type of phone you have and the O/S or iOS version that it is running.

One guy from this forum who covers his plate, forgot to cover up part of his home address when he took the picture.

 

I honestly don't have this but here is a link to it.

https://www.510autogroup.com/products/stealth-plate-flippers-usa

 

Lots of whataboutism's in this comment section. You could get mugged walking down the street, should you disregard safety just because it could happen? I could get a DUI from a couple drinks, so might as well just drive plastered... lol

 

California is a dump
They would have that on every light wouldn't they

 

That why I go almost nowhere without my SHRADE USA pocket blade. Mostly for self protection from animals. Sure, could backfire and I get stabbed with it, like ppl say, but I'd rather flash that thing at some fool to get him to keep walkin'