Ford patents camera system that can report speeders to the police

A new proposal submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) could turn every new Ford on the road into a rolling informant for the police.

State of play: This “Systems and Methods for Detecting Speeding Violations," would equip Ford cars with sensors and cameras capable of detecting any surrounding speeding vehicles.

• The data collected, including images, location, and speed, would then be sent directly to law enforcement via GPS.

• The tech would be deployed to police fleet vehicles only to help officers make quick decisions about pursuing a violation.

Why it matters: The allure of connected cars, often touted as "computers on wheels," has created a growing privacy dilemma for drivers. While carmakers are quick to show off the advanced features these vehicles offer, questions about how much data is collected and how it's used remain murky.

Between the lines: A key question is how law enforcement would prosecute speeding violations based solely on evidence collected by a computer system without a human officer as a witness.

The big picture: Cars, in general, are bad at privacy. A  study by Mozilla found that all 25 major brands tested. collect too much data. The majority share or sell it and even more brands give driver little to no control over it.

Meanwhile: Senators Edward J. Markey and Ron Wyden launched an oversight probe earlier this year in response to the dubious nature of automaker data-sharing practices. In a recent release, they accuse General Motors, Honda, and Ford of employing deceptive tactics to trick drivers into sharing personal data.

Zoom out: Ford's proposed surveillance system is far from a reality. While companies routinely patent ideas, many never come to fruition. That’s a good thing, because there are many questions lawmakers and car manufacturers have to address before this one hits the street. While Ford claims this technology could improve road safety, critics argue it further blurs the lines between security and surveillance.

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