Digital number plates: are they a privacy concern and will they come to the UK?

Trials begin in California on the plates
that could help police track stolen vehicles

Analysis

According to Fortune, the system uses technology similar to
Amazon’s Kindle e-reader, where users can choose between either a
light or dark background. 

When the vehicle is moving, the digital plate displays the
registration number of the vehicle just like a conventional plate,
the website says. But when the car comes to a halt, the number
shrinks and moves to the top right corner of the display. Users can
also customise the display with a personal image or message that
will show when the car is stationary.

Digital Trends says the digital number plate
could streamline the annual vehicle registration process in the
state.

As it stands, car owners in California are required to register
their cars on a yearly basis and display a small sticker on their
number plates once they have paid, the tech site says. 

The digital plate can be updated automatically, meaning
vehicle owners don’t need to place the mandatory sticker on their
car to show it has been registered. 

Are the plates a privacy concern?

They certainly are. This is because the device’s built-in
GPS chip makes it easier for the authorities to track a person’s
car – or number plate – if it is stolen.

Although the ability to track a vehicle wirelessly “may be ideal
for fleet owners”, The Verge says, “individual drivers may balk at
the idea”.

Some are concerned the plates could be vulnerable to hackers,
but the Daily Mail says Reviver Auto has fitted the
futuristic registration device with cyber security systems that are
similar to those used for online banking.

The newspaper adds that a future update will allow the
number plates to “display targeted advertising on parked vehicles”,
although this is “pending approval from the California DMV
[Department of Motor Vehicles]”.

Will they come to the UK?

Not in the near future, it seems. That’s according to a
spokesperson for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA),
who told Autocar that there are no plans to introduce
the system into the UK any time soon, as the present system “works
effectively”.