Why do people cover their license plate?

[Zeke588]

So for a long time this has bothered me. I'm curious as to why people cover up their license plate for pictures? What do you think your accomplishing? I'm not trying to be an A**hole but people see your plate whenever you drive your car around anyway? What information can be had from a licence plate? For years now I see countless cars on facebook, instagram, or craigslist with the license plates blocked out, yet hundreds of people see your plates when you drive to the grocery store. WHAT IS THE POINT!! As far as I know the only thing you can get from running a license plate is the vehicle information. Unless there is some other website or software that connects to some other database that allows someone to enter in a license plate to get an address why are you covering your plates.

Could someone please enlighten me on this subject.

 

[Dillusion]

No need to let the whole world know who you are and what you drive.

 

[oldskminitrk]

So for a long time this has bothered me. I'm curious as to why people cover up their license plate for pictures? What do you think your accomplishing? I'm not trying to be an A**hole but people see your plate whenever you drive your car around anyway? What information can be had from a licence plate? For years now I see countless cars on facebook, instagram, or craigslist with the license plates blocked out, yet hundreds of people see your plates when you drive to the grocery store. WHAT IS THE POINT!! As far as I know the only thing you can get from running a license plate is the vehicle information. Unless there is some other website or software that connects to some other database that allows someone to enter in a license plate to get an address why are you covering your plates.

Could someone please enlighten me on this subject.

I have always wondered this too.....its like wiping your butt before ya poo

 

[Jimmyasheville]

In many states license and registration info is public and will be furnished on request. But I agree, why cover it? Google knows everything you think, but few people care about that, or at least not to stop using google or it’s tentacles.

 

[Baystate4Runner]

If someone see you on the road sure they might be able to find out your name/address if the person remembers your license plate...but if you leave your footprint on the internet suddenly your name can be connected to your political views, activities, habits etc.

No need to tag your postings with an easy identifier...it would stay online forever!

 

[Rightside Up]

If someone see you on the road sure they might be able to find out your name/address if the person remembers your license plate...but if you leave your footprint on the internet suddenly your name can be connected to your political views, activities, habits etc.

No need to tag your postings with an easy identifier...it would stay online forever!

Or someone getting pissed off at something you posted.

 

[jordanrb81]

I am with you I don't bother to blur or black out my license plate. I just don't thing anyone cares about me so much. On the other hand, If you really want to find me, I am sure there are enough bread crumbs out there that you could do it with or without my plate. FURTHER if people want to blur their plate out and it makes them feel better/safer, maybe it does, maybe it doesn't, live and let live to each their own!

 

[Zeke588]

But even if you cover your license plate, in a platform like t4r.org people will still recognize your vehicle, not your plates. I can tell you most of the time when you describe a car to your friends that you saw on facebook/instagram/craigslist you will most likely describe its features not its license plate number. And in reality the majority of people who do put up pictures of cars whether it be off-roading, rice rockets, trucks etc always have a vehicle that is easily identifiable by its features not its plates.

 

[JVC8790]

The thing I love the most is when someone does it in a few pictures, but misses 1-2 pictures on their social media or for sale post. Either you have to commit fully, or not commit at all to doing it in every picture ever posted anywhere on the internet.

 

[Zeke588]

The thing I love the most is when someone does it in a few pictures, but misses 1-2 pictures on their social media or for sale post. Either you have to commit fully, or not commit at all to doing it in every picture ever posted anywhere on the internet.

YES what the point then!

 

[fourwd1]

Moving this to OT

 

[aimeusdietger]

I also do not see the point...but to some extent, the internet has made it so easy to track and know someones whereabouts so any opportunity one gets to keep it private the better.

 

[Jbatman]

Risk. People see your license plate all day long but without any additional context. Posting your license plate on the internet creates something that lasts (presumably) forever and is now tied to you and your actions, future posts, rants, purchases, etc etc. That photo can be viewed and acted upon today, tomorrow, in 5 years or whenever, now that it is on the internet.

You make a post 3 years down the road on your brand new shiny SIG P226 that you keep in your glovebox, or give commentary in another post on what type or home security system or safe they should be using, etc. In states like TX where license plate information is public data all it takes is a quick search to find out where someone lives and now I have context into their lives, where they keep that shiny new toy, what's in their safe, and can do so as I please with that info. Would you feel comfortable posting a picture on the internet of your home with your mailbox and street address in view? Criminals will always go for low-hanging fruit first.

You hand your credit card to tellers, waitresses, clerks all day long who could easily steal your CC info yet no rational minded person would take a photo of their CC and post it online because it creates excess risk for no reason.

The point is, posting license plate photos online likely will never lead to anything but why make it easier for someone when it takes all of 10 seconds to blur it out?

 

[Zeke588]

Risk. People see your license plate all day long but without any additional context. Posting your license plate on the internet creates something that lasts (presumably) forever and is now tied to you and your actions, future posts, rants, purchases, etc etc. That photo can be viewed and acted upon today, tomorrow, in 5 years or whenever, now that it is on the internet.

You make a post 3 years down the road on your brand new shiny SIG P226 that you keep in your glovebox, or give commentary in another post on what type or home security system or safe they should be using, etc. In states like TX where license plate information is public data all it takes is a quick search to find out where someone lives and now I have context into their lives, where they keep that shiny new toy, what's in their safe, and can do so as I please with that info. Would you feel comfortable posting a picture on the internet of your home with your mailbox and street address in view? Criminals will always go for low-hanging fruit first.

You hand your credit card to tellers, waitresses, clerks all day long who could easily steal your CC info yet no rational minded person would take a photo of their CC and post it online because it creates excess risk for no reason.

The point is, posting license plate photos online likely will never lead to anything but why make it easier for someone when it takes all of 10 seconds to blur it out?

See now your making sense, About the whole gun in your glove thing I get that. I had no idea that texas disclosed information thats tied to a license plate! After a quick google search of my plate all I found was a website that showed me year make and model of my car. It also claimed to have arrest records of the owner (I have never been arrested in my life) and it said it could tell me the address if I gave it my credit card info. That right there looks like a scam to me.

I even went too PAGE 2 of google, who does that anymore, too see if I could find anything. Nada. Granted that Montana may not have a license plate database open to the public. You really need the vin of a vehicle to do anything with a car.

Yes I know that I'm just a guy at his desk googling. There are probably criminals who have more drive than me too attempt to find information from a license plate. Who's to say that the criminal is lurking the internet looking at vehicles all over the states to find the owners information. What if he/she takes the same commute home as you do everyday sees your plate #, writes it down, goes home and gives it a quick search and finds out your house is 15 mins away. Gives it a few passes during the day while hes assuming your at work, and finally decides to break in and attempt to steal something. That right there seems more realistic than someone saving your plates off of the internet..

Again, not trying to give off a bad tone, just giving my .02!

 

[RandyDaytona]

Risk. People see your license plate all day long but without any additional context. Posting your license plate on the internet creates something that lasts (presumably) forever and is now tied to you and your actions, future posts, rants, purchases, etc etc. That photo can be viewed and acted upon today, tomorrow, in 5 years or whenever, now that it is on the internet.

Exactly.

There are also commercial databases where you can run a plate and get a name, address, phone number, SSN, criminal history, bankruptcies, and anything else you can imagine. They are “restricted” to people who: 1) pay to use it, and 2) who have some kind of need for it. That includes obvious entities like law enforcement and courts, but also debt collection agencies, credit bureaus, insurance investigators, etc.

That’s a crap-load if people with potential access to your entire life, all because you left a license plate number on the internet, where it’s essentially written in stone forever. It also doesn’t matter if the plate is no longer valid. Still comes up years afterward, along with the VIN, who bought it from whom, and even where/how the vehicle was financed.

The world we now live in is much smaller than it once was.

 

[mrblah]

i have vanity plates, if anyone wanted to mess with me so be it.