this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2026
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Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) aren’t just helping police investigate crimes anymore. They’re now being used to flag drivers for supposedly “suspicious” driving patterns.

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[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 hours ago

I mean I got pulled over for DWB so, meh.

[–] Janx@piefed.social 19 points 6 hours ago

"Papers, please."

This is the future Republicans want more of...

[–] crystalmerchant@lemmy.world 6 points 7 hours ago

Yayyyy three cheers for pre-crime

[–] dan1101@lemmy.world 25 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

This is exactly why law enforcement using a nationwide surveillance system constantly gathering evidence on everyone passing one of their cameras is a 4th amendment violation.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 7 points 4 hours ago

Bingo. Any reasonable judge would toss these cases for not having probable cause.

This also seems like easy legislation at the federal level. "Driving patterns gleaned from the use of an ALPR system does not, by itself, constitute probable cause."

[–] Limonene@lemmy.world 6 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

If they're going to keep doing ALPR cameras, license plates should be abolished, as they are compelled speech.

[–] Microtonal_Banana@lemmy.zip 6 points 8 hours ago

I remember seeing that documentary called Minority Report.

[–] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net -1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

US police was using magic wands to detect drugs at schools and mark lockers that need to be searched. AI is not that strange.

It's like the magic drug dog that takes cues from the owner.

[–] dan@upvote.au 11 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

ctOS from Watch Dogs was supposed to be a warning... It wasn't supposed to become a real system.

[–] Knoxvomica@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 hours ago

Hopefully its as easily hackable

[–] dermanus@lemmy.ca 49 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (3 children)

Not a new problem unfortunately.

Among the things courts or cops have deemed "suspicious":

Booking a nonstop flight

Booking a flight with a layover

Traveling alone

Traveling with a companion

People who appear nervous

People who appear ?too calm?

[–] Janx@piefed.social 4 points 6 hours ago

No, but now AI can mass-search for those reasons, or combine them, for all of us. You won't even know you were targeted as a political enemy until you're in an interrogation room...

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 38 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (1 children)

You left off these ones from the list which are pretty funny

Being the first person off a plane

Being the last person off a plane

Someone authorities believe has tried to blend in to the middle of exiting passengers'

So... getting off a plane then.

Being hatless

Being hatted

[–] Funkt4st1c@lemmy.world 18 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Simple throughline, two options: "Bad Vibes" aka being a minority in America or "I need to impress my superior, and the best thing i could do would be whatever sherlock holmes does, but im an idiot so ill just roll the dice on the next guy and hope im right and get promoted :)"

[–] HCSOThrowaway@lemmy.world 4 points 8 hours ago

Basically, yeah. Law enforcement supervisors prefer higher arrest volume.

[–] SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml 192 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The police don't need a computer to suspect you. They already suspect you.

They need a computer to blame the mistake on.

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 21 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Digital K9s for all the officers!

[–] SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 day ago

HAY, I didn't consent to be searched by a dog either.

[–] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 96 points 1 day ago (3 children)

"Do you know why I pulled you over?"

"...do you?"

[–] XiJinpingStanAccount@lemmy.ml 24 points 1 day ago (1 children)

My go to response to that question is, "Because you thought I was Brad Pitt and you wanted my autograph? I know, I get it a lot." I look nothing like Brad Pitt.

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 10 points 20 hours ago

Yeah... if you're username is anything to go by, you look just like Winnie the Pooh

[–] Blibittyblah@futurology.today 12 points 1 day ago

I don’t need to know what you did to know my job

[–] ElChinchilla@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

If it has anything to do with these l, idk, like 40 grenades in the trunk, we're both in for a party.

[–] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 71 points 1 day ago (6 children)

The Wired article linked by the OP article mentions visiting multiple banks in a week as suspicious behavior that gets flagged… if we had a car (assuming it needs a license plate to attach to you and look up info), that would have pinged my spouse last week. Stupid fucks live in such ivory towers that they’ve never had a bank run out of quarters for the washing machine.

[–] MasterBlaster@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

so three empty ATMs can land me in jail. good to know.

[–] impairedimperator@lemmy.zip 2 points 4 hours ago

Side benefit of the extreme proliferation of gambling: basically every bar has a shitload of quarters now.

[–] AndrewZabar@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They don’t know what a washing machine is. They likely think it’s to clean golf balls.

Well, that's not wrong.

[–] undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch 7 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I got so tired of the quarters problem (bank online so I get ATM fees then have to go to a laundromat to pretend I’m doing laundry there) that I bought a whole-ass washing machine for $180 to avoid the problem.

I’m actually saving a ton of money and because my landlord is checked out and lives far from here he’ll never know we have a portable washer in our apartment.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I’m actually saving a ton of money and because my landlord is checked out and lives far from here he’ll never know we have a portable washer in our apartment.

Why would your landlord have a problem with a portable washer in your apartment? Is there language written into your lease prohibiting it?

[–] undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch 1 points 2 hours ago

Apparently many leases do, but mine doesn’t. I’m sure it’s a liability thing especially with flooding or water damage.

I used to visit the bank way more often when living paycheck to paycheck because it was the only way to get ahead of insufficient funds charges. I was depositing cash from whatever I could sell to pay off the $25 per item overdraft fees.

[–] Snowclone@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

I used to be a manager at a smoothie shop. went to like two banks a day with different business needs, guess that's not allowed.... who knew?

[–] minorkeys@sh.itjust.works 13 points 23 hours ago

"Just following AI's orders."

Looking for crimes, not criminals.

[–] UltraMagnus0001@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day ago (2 children)

So, it looks for the dark skinned people?

[–] adarza@lemmy.ca 9 points 22 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Jolteon@lemmy.zip 5 points 21 hours ago

I really wouldn't have been surprised, especially since ICE is one of the primary users of that kind of system.

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 5 points 22 hours ago

It's also getting pretty good at finding queers! So sus!

[–] schipelblorp@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Looks like the AI flagged you with code rgb(244,164,96)....

[–] CapuccinoCoretto@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Need a Bobby Tables style license plate.

Heh, I put the text of the joke in this post, but lemmy wouldn't let me submit. Let's hope the ALPR guys aren't as careful lol.

Uh oh, you shouldn’t have spent so much time in that tanning salon.

[–] Donjuanme@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

Suspicious is going to be non Tesla electric car owners...

[–] chunes@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Not driving and not having kids are two things you can do to exempt yourself from a world of possible legal issues.

[–] schipelblorp@sh.itjust.works 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Walking on the side of the street invites its own set of legal issues.

[–] NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)

This one always gets me, walking home from the bar drunk (to avoid driving) can get you thrown in prison, or shot. At least in the US.

Honestly a cop would give you less hassle if you drove home drunk.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago

The odds of anyone getting shot walking down the street are infinitesimal. Your odds of getting flattened by a car however...

[–] schipelblorp@sh.itjust.works 4 points 8 hours ago

There's a video where a guy is just walking home from his shift and gets wellness checked by a passing trooper into being arrested.

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