Big brother is watching you drive

np_bernstein writes: "I initially heard about this on Seattle's Local NPR station: The Seattle-Tacoma bridge's Speedpass travel data will be available for 8.5 years to Law enforcment & subpoena. This just seems like an unnecessary exposition of private data, and potentially sets a precident for storing other electronic traffic data like Traffic Signals. Fortunately it's only speed pass users, so is in a sense "opt in".

Each time a driver uses the Good to Go automatic toll transponder system, a series of cameras will snap 24 photos of the vehicle as a computer system creates a record detailing the date and time of the trip. ... Drivers can request their own toll information from the Transportation Department, she said. Under state law, the only other people with access will be law enforcement investigators who subpoena the data and attorneys who request the data through court order, Matkin said.

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