License plate cameras are monitoring your activities without the need for a warrant.

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      Pandora's box is now open in a manner only portrayed in films, and the situation is quickly deteriorating.

      Automatic license plate readers (ALPR) provided by surveillance firms have introduced a technology known as SignalTrace, which utilizes sensors within the ALPRs to extract electronic hardware codes from your smart devices. Even worse, this technology is being marketed to law enforcement bodies like police departments, border security, and various other governmental organizations. Unsurprisingly, it hasn’t taken long for this new technology to be misused, with officers already caught using license plate readers to harass individuals.

      This tracking doesn’t only extend to your connected car; it also encompasses phones, wearables such as smartwatches and smart rings, and even your pets’ microchips or the AirTags located in your children’s backpacks. Additionally, it collects data from your vehicle, which in itself is very challenging to disconnect from. There’s no option to escape this reality, and no protections in place, largely due to the rapid deployment of this technology. The legislation hasn’t kept pace. Security expert Matt Hurewitz, currently the CISO at Ent.AI, noted on The Drivecast, “the laws are way behind,” and stated, “I believe that if you wait long enough, there will be cases that impact people in very real ways, prompting dialogue, which I consider vital.”

      In the latest episode of The Drivecast, we discuss with Hurewitz how this sudden surge in technology is enabling the government to construct a digital representation of your life without your awareness, and how we currently lack any viable means to prevent this.

      If you're new here, The Drivecast is The Drive's weekly podcast offering a behind-the-scenes look at the major controversies, stories, and individuals influencing the automotive sector along with the current state of our roads. Powered by The Drive's insider access, original reporting, exclusives, and insights, The Drivecast aspires to make everyone feel knowledgeable.

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      Full Transcript

      Joel: Hello everyone, and welcome to The Drivecast. I’m Joel Feder, content and product director at The Drive.

      Adam: And I’m Adam Ismail, a senior editor at The Drive.

      Joel: The Drivecast is our weekly podcast that provides an insider’s view into the largest stories, controversies, and personalities shaping the automotive sector. Today, we’ll explore how the devices you carry can enable law enforcement and the government to track your every move. A daunting thought. Time to grab the tin foil hats.

      Adam: Indeed, Joel. A new type of license plate reading camera is being touted as more than its name suggests. It’s designed to extract data from the smart devices you carry, neatly packaging all that information for law enforcement.

      Joel: Just to clarify, we aren’t merely discussing the tracking of your connected car, right Adam? This topic is rather old and played out.

      Adam: No, it unfortunately goes much further than that. We’re talking about phones, wearables, infotainment systems, and even your pet’s microchip if they have one.

      Joel: Yikes. My dog is definitely microchipped. Who would have imagined that AirTags and smartwatches would allow someone or something to monitor you like this, right? This conversation began last week when Adam reported about it on The Drive, and it generated significant reactions. Shocking. Today, we’ll delve deeper into what’s really happening and invite our special guest, security expert Matt Hurewitz, CISO at Ent AI, to help us distinguish between fact and fiction. If you enjoy what we’re doing here, please consider giving us a five-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It truly helps in reaching a broader audience. Now, let’s dive in.

      Joel: So Adam, sometimes I feel like we’re living in a movie. I frequently reference films like I, Robot with Will Smith whenever I see things like Elon’s robots. So many films have actively portrayed what we’re experiencing or are about to experience. If my grandmother saw electric vehicles and robots today, she’d be utterly bewildered, as if she were watching a movie.

      Adam: Yeah, during times like these, I often think back to a tweet I saw long ago, which expressed a desire to live in more predictable times, because technology accelerates so rapidly across many aspects of life. The world is just beginning to deal with a situation that I’m sure our guest Matt can discuss: the global scale of