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posted by janrinok on Friday August 16 2019, @05:08PM   Printer-friendly
from the null-not- dept.

Forbes reports that a security researcher in California registered the vanity plate "NULL," partly for fun and partly in the hope that this spoofed the system into returning errors whenever his plate was seen.

Instead he received more than $12,000 in fines, as his plate became a dumping ground for erroneous data records.

Every single speeding ticket for which no valid license plate could be found was assigned to his car. The Los Angeles police department eventually scrapped the tickets but advised the man to change his plates, or the same problem would continue to occur. In response, the man has apparently said: "No, I didn't do anything wrong," insisting to his Def Con audience that, whatever happens, "I won't pay those tickets."

Also covered in the Guardian.
 


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  • (Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Friday August 16 2019, @07:59PM (2 children)

    by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us (6553) on Friday August 16 2019, @07:59PM (#881251) Journal

    If the messenger is intentionally trying to get away with something then yes the messenger is to blame for trying to get away with something. If the messenger was simply saying, "Yeah I'm a computer geek and a NULL license plate expresses my philosophy," then no problem. "I'm just taking advantage of the system," is dishonorable claptrap.

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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Arik on Friday August 16 2019, @08:08PM (1 child)

    by Arik (4543) on Friday August 16 2019, @08:08PM (#881257) Journal
    I think you're just tearing it out of context.

    If the system is broken, the only way to draw attention to that fact may be to take advantage of it.

    It sounds like this is costing him far more than it's worth, if he were trying to avoid trouble rather than bring attention to an amazingly brain dead system that's been put in a position to control the citizenry.

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    • (Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Friday August 16 2019, @10:33PM

      by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us (6553) on Friday August 16 2019, @10:33PM (#881321) Journal

      I might well be, and that may well be the reason he isn't being charged with anything.

      The Guardian article didn't clarify much since it was about confusing identity systems in general and I do not click on Forbes articles anymore. Maybe Forbes added some depth to it and/or I'm reading into it. But even though I don't agree with speed / red light cameras and think the surveillance state is wrong that does not justify causing havoc. Screw with the system, don't be surprised the system screws with you. It strikes me that he got the right level of being messed with back at him. He tried to waste others time and instead found himself being unintentionally hassled, yet did not have to pay the fines but if he continues to act that way he'll keep getting dinged. "Doctor, it hurts when I go like that.... well, don't go like that then."

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