Why blackout license plate

The speed and scale in which they've been ordered by the public is unprecedented in the history of Iowa automotive history. We haven't had any other plates that have been this significant and, I would say, have been this popular, this fast. When the DOT first made non-personalized versions of the plates more accessible at local county treasurer's offices in September, it barely took a week for them to sell out or run low in most of those counties.

It took another week, but all of those treasurer's offices have been restocked. Since they became available in July, the DOT reports that 19, blackout plates have been ordered, a third of them personalized. The responsibility for creating to these plates doesn't belong solely to the DOT or the Iowa Legislature, but also to average Iowans who willed the plates into existence and advocated for the license plates they wanted to see in the world. State Sen. So is it possible that the person you screamed out will cut you off and track you down?

Technically yes. But then it's also possible that I will wake up in the morning after a full night's sleep, look down, and discover that I have become a refrigerator. This world is full of all sorts of crazy occurrences, ya know? Now, if you're still worried about your plate number, allow me to offer one other nugget of information that may help you sleep a little better — just in case your finger doesn't quite cover it in all your Craigslist photos.

Yes, folks, that's right: every time you drive your vehicle on a public road, every human with eyes can see your license plate number.

And guess what? You're still alive, living your life, and nobody has figured out any of your passwords, even though you have an unprotected file on your Desktop that includes all of them. And so, ladies and gentlemen, I suggest you stop covering up your license plates when you post pictures or video, because by God it doesn't matter. It didn't work. He worked as a manager for Porsche Cars North America before quitting to become a writer, largely because it meant he no longer had to wear pants.

Of course not. All we can do is try to make their job harder and blurring your license plates is one way to do that. The opposite is true if you blur it. Who knows, going the extra mile might make them choose you for a paid photoshoot! That increases the chances of it falling into the wrong hands in a big way. Is also not true because people have all the time they need to take pictures of your car and plates everytime you are parked at a shopping mall or elsewhere.

Blurring a plate is pointless. The only thing a plate run through the NCIC National Criminal Information Computer reveals about you is your name, address, the kind of car that plate is registered to, and if your registration is current.

Not exactly world ending information, and information that can be found out about you a million and one other, much easier ways. Quit being so paranoid. Stop living in constant fear! Live your life already!!! Thank you for the article. Never thought of this. As note.. It is a description of a psychiatric diagnosis which is very difficult to live with if one is afflicted. Perhaps you could change the wording.

Thanks for pointing that out, Ann. Reasons why you may want to blur your license plates: Why would anyone feel the need to hide their license plates on the internet? Here are a few things people are concerned about: Vehicles being stolen Vehicles go missing every day. Identity theft We live in a world where card readers in stores and at gas pumps are the norm.

Stalkers Remember that noob that you pwned and humiliated online? Getting into trouble with an insurance company You would be surprised at how far an insurance company will go to be able to deny coverage to someone.

Remaining anonymous online Not everyone wants to share their identity online. How much of a difference does it really make? Who can access your personal info through your license plate number? Once you get the hang of it, you can do this in about 20 seconds. Being the inquisitive likely mammal that you are, you've probably wondered why the license plate is obscured, and if it's actually a good idea. At least, I fit that description.

Here at Jalopnik , we haven't had a policy to obscure license plate images— I left them intact in, say, my Classic reviews — but it's worth investigating this further.

The general thinking behind pixellating or blurring or covering the license plates is based on the idea that with your license plate number, more information can be revealed about the car's owner, without his or her consent.

The argument against obscuring the tags is that the tags are already on open, public view. Why should it matter if they're in a picture, when they're normally not hidden, anyway? In the interest of full disclosure, I'll reveal my thoughts coming into this.

I was firmly in the who-cares-they're-already-on-display camp. To such a degree that I have a pair of Vans with my Beetle's license plate number embroidered on the back. Also, it helps that I'm so irritating that I'm almost kidnap-proof, even if someone could find out where I lived from my car's tags.