A Legal Plate Sticker That Deceives Police AI Cameras Could Still Land You in Jail in Florida | Carscoops

      Florida has enacted a ban on devices that hinder the detection of license plates.

      A simple sticker can deceive ALPR AI without obscuring the numbers.

      To human observers, the license plate remains completely visible and clear.

      Automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) are now ubiquitous, found on police cars, at intersections, and attached to streetlight poles nationwide. In light of the expanding presence of this technology, Florida has recently introduced updated legislation targeting individuals who obscure or hinder the visibility of license plates.

      This includes provisions concerning devices that prevent recording equipment from capturing a plate. In essence, a clever anti-ALPR tool might now lead to jail time for drivers in Florida, and many people would likely not notice it without assistance.

      The technology in question comes from musician and engineer Benn Jordan, who recently showcased a minimalist sticker featuring small dots intended to confuse ALPR cameras without traditionally blocking the plate. To the human eye, the plate remains easily readable.

      Numbers, letters, and layout all appear correct. Even images from ALPR cameras show a completely legible plate. However, the focus is not on this aspect.

      Can the System Be Deceived?

      What matters is the AI's perception. The strategically placed dots take advantage of the way machine-learning models interpret images. Instead of recognizing the object as a license plate worthy of logging, the AI frequently misidentifies it altogether and fails to record it.

      According to Florida's new law, a device that obscures a license plate is defined as any manual, electronic, or mechanical object that impacts the legibility, angular visibility, detectability, or ability to record any feature of a plate. Notably, the statute does not restrict itself to human readability; it explicitly covers interference with recording systems. This is where Jordan's decal becomes legally contentious.

      Critic and repair-rights advocate Louis Rossmann quickly highlighted the broad and potentially hazardous implications of this language. He argued that Florida has effectively made it a crime to use tools that challenge surveillance infrastructure, even if they do not prevent human identification of a vehicle and are not employed for criminal purposes.

      Nevertheless, individuals who use a tool like Jordan's may face imprisonment just as if they were driving under the influence.

      A Legal Line Defined by Algorithms

      Jordan's decal does not obscure numbers, hide plates, or apply reflective coatings. It does not alter the color or layout of the plate. It merely demonstrates that ALPR systems depend on delicate pattern recognition, and Florida's law seems to prioritize the protection of these systems over intent, potential harm, or human legibility.

      Whether Florida lawmakers intended to make adversarial tests for machine learning illegal is uncertain. What is clear is that the law's language is sufficiently broad to encompass them, even if most people cannot even detect that there is anything on the plate to start with.