# Obscure video license plates **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 30, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-video-license-plates/696976 "2014-08-30T17:44:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![calmondo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@calmondo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calmondo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-video-license-plates/696976/1 "2014-08-30T17:44:47Z")
What is the purpose to often gray out the vehicle license plate in You Tube and Google videos? This practice seems to be done even on vehicles that have no relevance to the video, just caught on camera so to say. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-video-license-plates/696976/2 "2014-08-30T17:47:28Z")
Privacy protection. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-video-license-plates/696976/3 "2014-08-30T17:50:47Z")
For the same reason they gray out the license plates of the vehicles that do have relevance to the video. Just basic privacy protection (and possibly self-protection against the uppity and litigious). ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-video-license-plates/696976/4 "2014-08-30T21:10:15Z")
It’s not just Youtube. Professional TV shows do the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-video-license-plates/696976/5 "2014-08-30T21:26:04Z")
Even more mystifying, why do they blur out some words on highway direction signs in some remote parts of the world? ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-video-license-plates/696976/6 "2014-08-30T21:36:19Z")
To mask what could be identifying information to the precise location where something is happening. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-video-license-plates/696976/7 "2014-08-30T22:07:13Z")
Does somebody somewhere have to manually blur out every license number on every car in every camera shot? Or determine every place where “something might be happening” and blur out the name of that place on every sign? ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-video-license-plates/696976/8 "2014-08-30T22:57:19Z")
Google Street View uses software to automatically detect and blur license plates and faces. Occasionally it gets a bit overenthusiastic and blurs something else. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2014, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-video-license-plates/696976/9 "2014-08-30T23:14:59Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > Google Street View uses software to automatically detect and blur license plates and faces. Occasionally it gets a bit overenthusiastic and blurs something else. I find it hard to believe that it would be necessary. They can’t get close enough for any detail, can they? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-video-license-plates/696976/10 "2014-08-31T01:40:42Z")
Google Street View? Sure. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-video-license-plates/696976/11 "2014-08-31T05:10:39Z")
> [@srzss05](#): > > They can’t get close enough for any detail, can they? [See for yourself](https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.817599,144.967261,3a,90y,200.41h,91.7t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sLNH6E8gwKawXPPOZol_4Hg!2e0). Use the + button near the bottom right to zoom. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-video-license-plates/696976/12 "2014-08-31T21:53:42Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > [See for yourself](https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.817599,144.967261,3a,90y,200.41h,91.7t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sLNH6E8gwKawXPPOZol_4Hg!2e0). Use the + button near the bottom right to zoom. Or just use the scroll on your mouse.