License plate cameras will soon monitor phones, wearables, infotainment systems, and even pets.

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      If data brokers can monitor the devices you carry, they can determine your residence, your movements, and your activities. The situation is set to become even more concerning, as surveillance firms that offer automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) are getting involved. Defense contractor Leonardo is advertising a new technology called SignalTrace, which combines plate cameras with sensors capable of collecting unique identifiers linked to your smart devices, making this data accessible to law enforcement.

      A recent report by 404 Media explores the aims of SignalTrace and its promotion to authorities. Police, border security, and various government bodies already make up Leonardo's clientele, and with this technology, those customers aim to connect footage from these cameras to phones, tablets, wearables, AirTags, and, of course, the devices within vehicles.

      Should SignalTrace be able to detect your Bluetooth headphones, it will undoubtedly also monitor your vehicle’s 5G hotspot, infotainment system, and even tire pressure monitoring sensors. In fact, the company suggests pet microchips as a possible method for tracking.

      An excerpt from Leonardo’s own documentation on SignalTrace.

      The objective, as noted by 404, is to “close the gap between vehicle and occupant.” Previously, these cameras could only track a vehicle's movements at specific times. However, with an abundance of unique identifiers, linking an individual—or multiple people—to that vehicle becomes straightforward, and opting out is not an option.

      ALPRs were already problematic; the Electronic Frontier Foundation determined that consistently capturing images of vehicles in transit at various points, day after day, was sufficient to establish someone's "pattern of life" and even identify their associates.

      Leonardo received the patent for the underlying technology of SignalTrace two years ago. A press release announcing this achievement includes a disclaimer stating that the company’s technology “captures device frequencies emitted into the air” and “does not decrypt or capture the contents of the devices or their communications.” This is how these companies manage to avoid accountability for the surveillance they facilitate. Regardless of whether they are decrypting information, the outcomes remain unchanged.

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