I've noticed this being done on television as well, and wondered the same
thing. Probably, it's concern that someone can use the license plate number
to trace back to an identity and address of the car's owner. Whatever
mischief they have in mind (theft, marketing), they can take it from there.
However, there is now something called the Federal Driver's Privacy Protection
Act that prohibits DMVs from releasing personal information from vehicle
registration records to third parties without permission from the person
involved, except in some specific exceptions (insurance companies, law
enforcement, etc.).
Of course, another effect of this law is to prevent the current owner of a
Healey from having access to a list of previous owners of that car, which is
what most people who contact the BJ8 registry are interested in. That's why
I'm trying to document a running ownership history for each BJ8 in the
registry, while the information might still be available, for the benefit of
future owners who will want to know.
Steve Byers
HBJ8L/36666
BJ8 Registry
Havelock, NC
----- Original Message -----
From: Reid Trummel
To: healeys@autox.team.net
Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2005 2:00 AM
Subject: License Plate Obscuration
I've noticed in online ads and auctions for cars that the sellers often
blur, cover, or other wise obscure the license plate in the photos. Why do
they do this?
What mischief can someone potentially do just by knowing the license plate
number?
What disadvantage might the seller suffer when others know the license plate
number?
After all, everyone who sees your car in public can see and record your
license plate. If it's OK there, why not in photos on the Internet?
Reid Trummel
Portland, Oregon
100, 100M, Ski-Master
|