In reply to Dr. Agre's comment, I'd point out that one
normally has more than one insurance company to choose from...
not the case with governmentally-imposed road taxes.
-Allen
From: IN%"rre@weber.ucsd.edu" 9-FEB-1997 02:12:23.32
To: IN%"rre@weber.ucsd.edu"
CC:
Subj: Proposed satellite monitoring of car movements in Sweden
[If it wasn't taxes, it would be insurance.]
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Date: Thu, 6 Feb 1997 19:04:07 -0800 (PST)
From: risks@csl.sri.com
Subject: RISKS DIGEST 18.81
RISKS-LIST: Risks-Forum Digest Thursday 6 February 1997 Volume 18 : Issue 81
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 20:39:29 +0100 (MET)
From: Feliks Kluzniak
Subject: Proposed satellite monitoring of car movements in Sweden
The new issue of "Dagens IT", no. 3, dated 28 Jan - 3 Feb 1997 (a Swedish
paper aimed at information technology professionals), contains an item that
might be of some interest to those RISKS readers who followed discussions
about automatic highway toll booths in the US and related subjects.
My (probably imperfect) translation follows.
Car users will be be put in "feetcuffs"
(written by Margaretha Sundstroem)
With the help of a new satellite system car users might pay different taxes,
depending on when and where they drive. This is what the State
communications commission is said to be discussing.
According to (the newspaper) "Dagens Politik", the State communications
commission is discussing a proposal to use satellites for determining car
taxes in the future. It is proposed that all of Sweden's 3.5 million cars
should be equipped with a little reader fastened to the instrument board.
Car users would then buy cards that can be inserted into the reader. The
card would communicate with a satellite that would register where you drive
and for how long. The car tax would then be withdrawn from the card.
The proposal has been put forward by the State institution for communication
analysis. They estimate that just the Stockholm (tax) authorities would be
able to earn six billion crowns by using this system.
The costs for car users would thereby increase.
- - - -
The reference to "feetcuffs" (by analogy to "handcuffs" - ankle
shackles?) is an allusion to radio transmitters that are irremovably
fastened to the ankles of some criminals in this country so that the
authorities can monitor their compliance with the rules of house arrest.
The word "communication" is meant to include car traffic etc. The word
"billion" is given in its US meaning: a thousand million.
The risks? Apart from the risks of having very complex systems
automatically determine how much you have to pay, there are the usual
privacy considerations. Some cry out "big brother". Others say you are
already in this situation if you carry a cellular phone.
Feliks Kluzniak, Carlstedt Research & Technology, Gothenburg
------------------------------
End of RISKS-FORUM Digest 18.81
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