Overlawyered - Per documents released in response to a FOIA request, the federal government maintains a large program using automatic license-plate readers to track vehicles in real time (not just in later investigation) and nationwide (not just near borders). The program “collects data about vehicle movements, including time, direction and location, from high-tech cameras placed strategically on major highways.” The resulting photographs are “sometimes” clear enough to identify drivers or passengers. “One email written in 2010 said the primary purpose of the program was asset forfeiture.” Although the program is run by the Drug Enforcement Administration, its data is increasingly shared for investigations unrelated to drugs. [Wall Street Journal]
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This, too, is nothing new, having a legacy dating back at least to Ol' Dutch Reagan's 'War on Drugs'. Though perhaps restricted to the areas around the border crossings and various 'US Officials' checkpoints farther away on Interstates 5, 8, 10, and 15, it was not that unusual an experience to be singled out and have to account for movements on said highways on very specific dates.
The creeping fascism has been creeping in for a very long time.
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