*A new surveillance system marketed to law enforcement could significantly expand authorities’ ability to connect people to the vehicles they use.
According to 404 Media, defense contractor Leonardo is promoting SignalTrace, which pairs license plate readers with sensors that collect identifiers from nearby electronic devices. The company is offering the technology to police departments, border security agencies, and other government customers.
Automatic license plate readers already allow authorities to document where vehicles travel by capturing images at various locations. SignalTrace adds another layer by collecting signals from devices that may be traveling inside or near those vehicles.
The system can reportedly detect identifiers associated with smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, and AirTags. It may also gather data from electronics built into modern vehicles, including Bluetooth systems, onboard 5G hotspots, infotainment systems, and tire pressure monitoring sensors. Leonardo even lists pet microchips as a possible source of tracking information.
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404 Media reported that the technology aims to “bridge the gap between vehicle and occupant.” By pairing license plate information with multiple device identifiers, authorities could more easily connect specific individuals to a vehicle.
Privacy advocates have long expressed concerns about automatic license plate reader networks. The Electronic Frontier Foundation previously found that repeatedly photographing vehicles along their routes can reveal a person’s “pattern of life” and identify the people they regularly associate with, per The Drive.
Leonardo secured a patent for the technology behind SignalTrace two years ago. In a press release, the company stated that the system “captures device frequencies emitted into the air” and “does not decrypt or capture the contents of the devices or their communications.”
Critics argue that the absence of decrypted communications does little to ease privacy concerns. Even without accessing messages or breaking encryption, systems that collect device identifiers can still help authorities build detailed records of people’s movements and associations.
Because many electronic devices continuously emit signals during normal use, avoiding this type of tracking may prove difficult for ordinary users.
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