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A woman drives with both hands on the wheel. Her phone sits face-down on her lap. No officer pulls her over. No lights flash. Weeks later, a $1,251 ticket arrives in the mail. The evidence: a single frame from a Camera surveillance app. The charge: phone use while driving.

Automated camera companies market their devices as automated license plate readers — tools for catching stolen cars, flagging warrants, and aiding serious investigations.

Sold as a Crime Tool. Used as a Fine Machine.

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[-] Pacattack57@lemmy.world 9 points 5 hours ago

Traffic cams violate our constitutional right to face our accuser in court.

[-] BussyCat@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

Wouldn’t you just need a police officer to go to court and say they are accusing you based on said evidence and then you still face the accuser

The huge invasions of privacy seem like a much bigger issue but I am also not a legal expert

[-] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

An example of what people in positions of authority think is perfectly acceptable:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbins_v._Lower_Merion_School_District

School authorities surreptitiously and remotely activated webcams embedded in school-issued laptops the students were using at home. After the suit was brought, the school district, of which the two high schools are part, revealed that it had secretly taken more than 66,000 images.

A lawsuit wasn't enough, the administrators should be branded as sex offenders and the parents should have taken them out behind the school and beat the crap out of them.

[-] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 52 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

Since the article appears to be mostly a weird collection of badly referenced random cases, let me give you the primary source on the case in the headline:

https://www.tiktok.com/@kristakampz/video/7640403411845877012

Edit and also to save you having to go to tiktok, here's a frame extracted from the video:

Note, this was in Alexandra Headland in Queensland in Australia. So no idea why the article cites Georgia law....

Also this is relevant: https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/road-safety/mobile-phones

Illegal mobile phone use while driving includes:

  • holding it in your hand
  • resting on any part of your body (eg. your lap or shoulder)

If you hold your phone or have it on your body, you will be fined even if you’re not operating the phone, or it’s turned off.

[-] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 4 points 7 hours ago

So no idea why the article cites Georgia law....

Because there was another case in Georgia in December that they were citing as well. In fact they cite several cases in different parts of the country. The article is making a case for a supreme court challenge to these Constitution violating cameras and fines. The Australian cases just a viral opener for the topic.

[-] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 7 hours ago

Can't be that viral if the tiktok is already two months old. I think they are just too bad at journalism to check their sources.

[-] pirat@lemmy.world 6 points 10 hours ago

Does a phone in the pocket count as resting on any part of the body?

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[-] Sunflier@lemmy.world 19 points 15 hours ago

Article:

Georgia law (OCGA 17-4-23) generally requires a traffic offense occur in the presence of an officer for a citation to be valid — raising direct legal questions about mail-in AI camera tickets.

Washington State caps automated camera fines at $145 under RCW 46.63.220 — far below what you might be paying too much when the viral ticket hits $1,251.

Five Albany, Georgia officers were criminally charged for misusing Flock plate-reader data for personal reasons, according to USA Today.

[-] Evotech@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago

This was in Australia though

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[-] trackball_fetish@lemmy.wtf 17 points 17 hours ago

Remember kids, blackout or reflective tint and anti alpr film for ya plates are your friends.

[-] teolan@lemmy.world 10 points 12 hours ago

Or... you don't need a plate on a bicycle.

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this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2026
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