Image: Reviver
Hacking. Disinformation. Surveillance. CYBER is Motherboard's podcast and reporting on the dark underbelly of the internet.
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California launched the option to buy digital license plates in October. Reviver is the sole provider of these plates, and says that the plates are legal to drive nationwide, and “legal to purchase in a growing number of states.”Customers can pay between $20 and $25 a month for a battery or wired powered version of the plate, according to Reviver’s website. The plates have around a 5 year or 50,000 miles worth of battery life, according to a Reviver promotional video.Users can digitally update the lower section of their license plate to display different messages. In the promotional video, one message reads “looking for a trail.” Another reads “Go Team!” An accompanying app can also update a user if their car moves when it is supposed to be parked, indicating it may have been stolen. The license plate will then display the text “stolen.” Reviver promises "continuous rollout of new features," including automatic toll payment, parking payment, roadside assistance, and vehicle diagnostics.Do you know any other cases of exposed location data? We'd love to hear from you. Using a non-work phone or computer, you can contact Joseph Cox securely on Signal on +44 20 8133 5190, Wickr on josephcox, or email joseph.cox@vice.com.
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