Bar-coding license plates is all about loss of privacy & profits.

VA - A proposal to embed bar codes and radio-frequency ID tags in Virginia license plates is running into opposition.

"The study also addressed the feasibility of issuing European‐style license plates.

More than 35 stakeholders from state government and the private sector worked collaboratively with project staff to study the issues and develop recommendations through a series of meetings and other communications. Four committees facilitated work on the project: Plate Design, Number of License Plates, Plate Enforcement, and European Plate Design. Committees met between one and three times, following an initial kick‐off meeting in April 2012

In addition to staff from the agencies represented on the Executive Oversight Team, stakeholders included the Commissioners of the Revenue Association of Virginia, Drive Smart Virginia, the Virginia Motorcycle Dealers Association, the Richmond Metropolitan Authority (RMA), Transurban, the Virginia Treasurers’ Association, the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association (VADA), the Virginia Independent Automobile Dealers Association (VIADA), the Virginia Trucking Association (VTA), the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association (VSA), the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police (VACP), and 3M (Virginia’s license plate supplies vendor)."

Additional recommendations include:

Continuing to research the feasibility and benefits of technologies, such as bar codes and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, on license plates.

Proponents say the first-in the-nation surveillance program would aid law-enforcement agencies and could even “unclog traffic.”

Delegate Joe T. May, R-Loudoun, who chairs the House Transportation Committee, asked the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Virginia State Police to study the high-tech venture.

“Automated reading of license plates is going to have to be developed if we’re going to continue with tolling activity that’s already in existence,” May said in a statement.

But civil-liberties groups see a more sinister agenda, and ulterior motives.

“Someone obviously has a lot of time on their hands,” says John Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute in Charlottesville.

“My sense is that there’s corporate influence at play – there’s money to be made on this.”

“If you want to unclog traffic, the state already has an opt-in program called EZ Pass,” Whitehead suggests.

“If you want to track suspect cars, police can put on a GPS. But you need a search warrant for that,” he said, citing the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Antoine Jones.

The state’s 76-page report acknowledges potential pitfalls “associated with an Orwellian ‘Big Brother’ government.”

“RFID (radio frequency identification), in particular, is often cited as a key offender of privacy and, in fact, Virginia statute 46.2-323.01 prohibits the use of RFID tags in driver’s licenses. DMV reports that similar concerns have been raised for bar codes,” the report stated.
http://watchdog.org/65285/va-bar-coded-license-plates-money-maker-privacy-breaker/