Why do some posters blank out license plates?

kaz1961 · 10-19-2018, 07:37 AM

I see this all the time both here and on lots of other sights. People post a picture of their car and they blank out the license plate number. What is the point of this? Your license plate number is visible all the time when your car is out of the garage, nothing underhanded could be done with it that I am aware of. Not putting anyone down that does this, just curious as to why people do it.

CCS71 · 10-19-2018, 07:43 AM

Conversely, the ones with vanity plates consistently don't conceal their tag.

craigss50 · 10-19-2018, 07:52 AM

I think when it comes to the internet people are very cautious about any identity info. When posting you are opening up to the world not just driving around. I have also noticed most people don't identify their location under their avatar. Does it make sense IDK?

Ryanbabz71 · 10-19-2018, 07:52 AM

https://jalopnik.com/why-do-we-alway...net-1691298199

dohvb1 · 10-19-2018, 07:58 AM

I've never understood it either. Paranoia maybe. I drive around, my license plate is in view. My bright orange car sits in the parking lot each and every day outside my place of business. I'm sure people have seen me pull into my garage. I don't live in a big city so if you see a Hot Wheels around, it's problem me. I suppose if I post a pic of my plate online, and you live out of state you might be able to access the information that people who live around here already know. But what are you going to do with that information.

Glen e · 10-19-2018, 08:06 AM

Yeah pretty ridiculous, especially when many pictures still embed the location data with it, if you know how to look for it. (most people leave the location embedding on, they don't even know they have it on their phone)

Mark114 · 10-19-2018, 08:08 AM

It's a privacy thing and it is a common practice. If you look at Google street view you will see that Google blurs the plates on all the vehicles. So do many car shows when they post event pictures.

Jim50thSS · 10-19-2018, 08:55 AM

At least they are posting pictures of their cars. What concerns me is the lack of women in these pictures.

mariojmoe · 10-19-2018, 09:00 AM

I cover my plates or blur them when posting pics. It's a privacy thing tbh, I do know if somebody really wants to find me they can (I'm not in hiding) but also do not want to make it easy to be stalked either. On my youtube channel I use a specific plate for Mexico runs for obvious reasons.

torqueaddict · 10-19-2018, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigss50

I think when it comes to the internet people are very cautious about any identity info. When posting you are opening up to the world not just driving around. I have also noticed most people don't identify their location under their avatar. Does it make sense IDK?

Exactly! Your exposure is much higher on the internet where potential crazies roam. Plus you may say something incriminating or offensive that pisses off someone. That paranoia is justified in my opinion.

Also, for those concerned about location data in their cell pics. You can turn off geo or location tagging in your camera app on Android. Not sure for the iPhone.

SSport16 · 10-19-2018, 09:17 AM

Just people being cautious...the thing that gets me is people putting stuff up all over the internet what they are doing at the moment, where they are and who they are with every minute of the day! I work in IT, people let out too much info, not good for security and their own personal safety. Hell, half of my neighbors buy a router from the store, plug it in and they are on their way, zero security at all! I tell people to have an actual IT person setup the correct way, tons of settings in router that so many people overlook that leaves them out in the wide open.

Bad Anvil Garage · 10-19-2018, 09:26 AM

Because fear + ignorance = blurred plates.

MosaicX1LE · 10-19-2018, 09:32 AM

So I had an incident once on the road where some BMW driver (it's always a BMW driver) got upset at me started tailgating me and taking pictures of the back of my car. Anyways I got kinda freaked out that the person would show up at my house when my wife and kids were there alone (along with the worthless dog), and ended up doing some research about what someone can do with your license plate. The short answer is nothing, unless they are a cop or someone with access to the DMV database. I think it's actually a fairly serious crime to look up someones information with intent to do them harm.

After all of the research, one of the things I still decided is that I will blackout my license plate when I post any pictures of my car and here's why. Maintaining the disconnect of my license plate number and any personal information about me is very important to me. Someone who just knows the plate number may not really be able to do anything with it, but they could associate it with my username. Then with my username, who knows maybe I accidentally posted some other personal information when buying something on the forum or they could contact someone I bought or sold something from/to. I agree, it's mildly paranoid, but for me it's just an extra precaution that really isn't too difficult and there really are some crazy people out there.

drperry · 10-19-2018, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glen e

Yeah pretty ridiculous, especially when many pictures still embed the location data with it, if you know how to look for it.

Only if you have location information, lol.

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10-19-2018, 07:37 AM	#1
kaz1961 Drives: 2018 RS Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: NY Posts: 43	Why do some posters blank out license plates? I see this all the time both here and on lots of other sights. People post a picture of their car and they blank out the license plate number. What is the point of this? Your license plate number is visible all the time when your car is out of the garage, nothing underhanded could be done with it that I am aware of. Not putting anyone down that does this, just curious as to why people do it.

10-19-2018, 07:43 AM	#2
CCS71 LFX to LT1 Drives: 2017 Camaro Fifty 2SS M6 Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Anne Arundel county, MD Posts: 234	Conversely, the ones with vanity plates consistently don't conceal their tag. __________________ 2013 Rally Yellow 1LT - Traded 2017 Camaro Fifty 2SS; Sequence #270 - Sunroof/Nav/NPP/MRC/6speed

10-19-2018, 07:52 AM	#4
Ryanbabz71 Drives: 2018 Hyper Blue 1SS 1LE Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Brownsburg, Indiana Posts: 6,231 View My Garage	https://jalopnik.com/why-do-we-alway...net-1691298199 __________________ Ryan * 2018 1SS 1LE Camaro Hyper Blue Metallic Car Build: http://www.camaro6.com/forums/showth...0#post10049680

10-19-2018, 08:06 AM	#6
Glen e Retired from Car mfrs.... Drives: 2LT RS/HR-V Join Date: May 2013 Location: /Fort Lauderdale Posts: 10,048	Yeah pretty ridiculous, especially when many pictures still embed the location data with it, if you know how to look for it. (most people leave the location embedding on, they don't even know they have it on their phone) __________________ Glen CLICK HERE for detailing a new car: detailing for non detailers CLICK HERE for how to rinseless CLICK HERE for EASY wheel sealant Last edited by Glen e; 10-20-2018 at 09:31 AM.

10-19-2018, 09:17 AM	#11
SSport16 Drives: 2016 Garnet Red Camaro 2SS Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: North Carolina Posts: 5,435	Just people being cautious...the thing that gets me is people putting stuff up all over the internet what they are doing at the moment, where they are and who they are with every minute of the day! I work in IT, people let out too much info, not good for security and their own personal safety. Hell, half of my neighbors buy a router from the store, plug it in and they are on their way, zero security at all! I tell people to have an actual IT person setup the correct way, tons of settings in router that so many people overlook that leaves them out in the wide open. __________________ 2SS Camaro, Garnet Red, Adrenaline Red, NPP, MRC, A8, 5 Split Spoke Bright Silver Wheels (56W) 1100 Status - 7/24/15 (Ordered) 3800 Status - 10/13/15 (Built) 6000 Status - 12/22/15 (Delivered)

10-19-2018, 07:52 AM	#3
craigss50 Drives: 2017 Camaro SS Fifty Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Port St Lucie, Florida Posts: 966	I think when it comes to the internet people are very cautious about any identity info. When posting you are opening up to the world not just driving around. I have also noticed most people don't identify their location under their avatar. Does it make sense IDK?

10-19-2018, 07:58 AM	#5
dohvb1 Drives: 2018 Hot Wheels Camaro 2SS Join Date: May 2018 Location: Cornelius, NC Posts: 69 View My Garage	I've never understood it either. Paranoia maybe. I drive around, my license plate is in view. My bright orange car sits in the parking lot each and every day outside my place of business. I'm sure people have seen me pull into my garage. I don't live in a big city so if you see a Hot Wheels around, it's problem me. I suppose if I post a pic of my plate online, and you live out of state you might be able to access the information that people who live around here already know. But what are you going to do with that information.

10-19-2018, 08:08 AM	#7
Mark114 Drives: 2016 2SS Convertible Join Date: May 2012 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 1,710 View My Garage	It's a privacy thing and it is a common practice. If you look at Google street view you will see that Google blurs the plates on all the vehicles. So do many car shows when they post event pictures.

10-19-2018, 08:55 AM	#8
Jim50thSS Drives: 50th SS Convertible Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Swanton, Ohio Posts: 103	At least they are posting pictures of their cars. What concerns me is the lack of women in these pictures.

10-19-2018, 09:00 AM	#9
mariojmoe Account Suspended Drives: C7 Z06 manual, 18 Zl1 manual, etc Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Spring Texas Posts: 1,488	I cover my plates or blur them when posting pics. It's a privacy thing tbh, I do know if somebody really wants to find me they can (I'm not in hiding) but also do not want to make it easy to be stalked either. On my youtube channel I use a specific plate for Mexico runs for obvious reasons.

10-19-2018, 09:26 AM	#12
Bad Anvil Garage Drives: 2000 GMPPSV SS & 2017 ILE SS Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Bartlett, IL Posts: 547	Because fear + ignorance = blurred plates.

10-19-2018, 09:32 AM	#13
MosaicX1LE Drives: 2017 MBM Camaro V6 1LE Join Date: May 2018 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 37	So I had an incident once on the road where some BMW driver (it's always a BMW driver) got upset at me started tailgating me and taking pictures of the back of my car. Anyways I got kinda freaked out that the person would show up at my house when my wife and kids were there alone (along with the worthless dog), and ended up doing some research about what someone can do with your license plate. The short answer is nothing, unless they are a cop or someone with access to the DMV database. I think it's actually a fairly serious crime to look up someones information with intent to do them harm. After all of the research, one of the things I still decided is that I will blackout my license plate when I post any pictures of my car and here's why. Maintaining the disconnect of my license plate number and any personal information about me is very important to me. Someone who just knows the plate number may not really be able to do anything with it, but they could associate it with my username. Then with my username, who knows maybe I accidentally posted some other personal information when buying something on the forum or they could contact someone I bought or sold something from/to. I agree, it's mildly paranoid, but for me it's just an extra precaution that really isn't too difficult and there really are some crazy people out there.

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