Revolutionary License Plate Reader Technology: Tracking Your iPhone with Precision

If you’ve ever noticed those automatic license plate readers at intersections, you may soon find them being used to wirelessly identify your Bluetooth devices like iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods. This technology could allow law enforcement to create a database tracking your movements.

Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems are already in use worldwide. Law enforcement uses the data collected by these systems to create databases with information about you and your vehicle. Australian police even use a CarPlay app to identify nearby vehicles.

Motorola developed technology that enabled the Western Australia Police Force to update its PSCore mobile app for automatic number plate recognition (ANPR). Australian police vehicles equipped with this system can provide information about nearby vehicles, including their history and ownership.

Recently, 404 Media reported that Leonardo US Cyber and Security Solutions is promoting a technology called “SignalTrace,” which enhances recognition capabilities. SignalTrace is designed to help law enforcement identify individuals based on signals emitted by their electronic devices, such as fitness trackers, smartwatches, RFID tags, and local signals from mobile phones.

SignalTrace sensors gather data from Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals, as well as RFID tags, categorizing them by device and linking them to data collected by ALPR cameras.

By analyzing this data, the technology can track individuals and groups, even if they are in different vehicles but heading to the same destination. The system’s software detects patterns, allowing law enforcement to identify if two iPhones (and their owners) are frequently seen together or in the same location, such as at a protest.

In November 2025, the Electronic Frontier Foundation reported that over 50 federal, state, and local agencies monitored protest activities using previous license plate systems. The potential implications of SignalTrace are concerning.

This technology can reveal convoys and travel patterns, according to Leonardo’s official site. The company emphasizes that SignalTrace does not infringe on individuals’ rights as it only captures device signals without decrypting or reading their contents, similar to how license plate readers capture plate numbers, not driver information.

Leonardo states that this data will be used only at the request of law enforcement. However, there is no mention of warrants being required before sharing collected data. It’s essential to remember that this data collection is conducted by a private company, not law enforcement.

While no driver information is collected directly, the captured license plate number can lead to obtaining the vehicle’s VIN, owner’s name and address, insurance status, and whether an electronic device was in use during the passage. This information could be valuable to advertisers or potential hackers if a data breach occurs.

The important question to ask is whether you have enough aluminum foil to protect your entire vehicle from potential tracking.