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DIGITAL
LICENSE PLATES COULD SOLVE CHICAGO CARJACKINGS, BUT GIVE HACKERS DATA
Illinois Policy Institute/
Noah Shaar
Chicago’s surge in carjackings prompted an
Illinois Secretary of State candidate to call for digital license
plates. The plates could be a convenience that could create privacy
problems. |
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 A woman in Chicago screamed as a stranger drove off in her
Nissan SUV with her 3-year-old in the backseat June 12. Seconds later, the
carjacker returned the child to the mother but kept the car.
Carjackings have surged in Chicago and other cities during the pandemic,
returning to highs not seen in 20 years. In an effort to prevent similar
carjackings, 17th Ward Ald. David Moore, who is running for Illinois Secretary
of State, is pushing state leaders to allow for digital license plates.
Introduced in California, Arizona and Michigan, digital license plates offer
features not found on regular plates – including tracking abilities when a car
is stolen. Digital plates record their location on an app, so car owners can
constantly see the location of the digital plates and a stolen vehicle’s
location will be shared with law enforcement. The digital plate also will
redesign itself to say “STOLEN,” alerting surrounding drivers of the theft.
 Moore said digital plates will end the need to go to driver services facilities
for vehicle titles, renewal and registration. They also can show messages about
Amber and Silver alerts using the same networks as cell phones. He wants them on
all Illinois vehicles.
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There are privacy concerns about digital plates,
which replace traditional metal plates with the equivalent of a
tablet. Experts worry about giving the location of a car to the
state government, which would make it easier to implement a tax on
miles driven for electric vehicles that don’t pay motor fuel taxes
for road upkeep.
There is also a lot of data about where a driver
goes and driving habits that could be collected, plus data could be
vulnerable to hacking.
Some drivers object to turning license plates into traveling
advertisements for the state. In California, when drivers park their
cars the digital plates will broadcast ads and government messaging.
Despite private ownership of plates, the government owns and
controls the number and messaging, including ads.
The plates are not cheap. In California, a digital plate with a life
span of five years has a final cost of $1,360: $700 for the plate,
$100 for the initial subscription fee and $560 for the five years of
$7 monthly payments for the cellular network connection.
Moore may be trying to solve the carjacking crisis, but digital
license plates raise privacy and cost issues that need to be
addressed
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