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Consumer Alert discovered a photo blocker spray that can counteract the camera — but is it legal?

Consumer Alert with the cooperation of the police department tested the spray on the cars of NBC 10 News. They ran a red light but never got a ticket.

Before the test, the license plate of the car was sprayed with the blocker. The spray is said to have anti-flash protection that reflects photo-radar flash.

Cpl. Steve Martelli of the Wilmington found the whole idea of the spray a great frustration to their jobs. It promotes criminal behavior and encourages individuals to run through red lights.

Joe Scott, the man selling the spray over the Internet, said that his spray is not intended to break the law but to protect motorists from a system forced against them. He said that these red lights are machines put out there to enforce the law and to find motorists guilty without even giving them a chance to go to court. Scott also said that red light cameras are an infringement of motorist’s right to privacy. But a privacy advocate disagrees.

John Featherman, a privacy advocate disagrees; he said that it is against the right to privacy: if you intend to racially profile, if you intend to catch tax cheats, if you intend to use it in a divorce case (that’s another story). But enforcing the law is not a privacy issue but an issue of violating the law.

City councilman Frank Rizzo initiated the installation of red light cameras in all city streets of Philadelphia. Running red lights is a common sight — especially on some of the side streets. Rizzo knows all about photo blocker, but he said consumers shouldn’t waste their money on it.

Rizzo said that there will be a special device during state inspection to detect if you have photo blocker on your license plate; if so, your license plate will be confiscated.
Block spray can not cancel EZPass and the cameras at Philadelphia International Airport. Airport officials said that their cameras take video continuously and don’t use a flash.

The manufacturer stated that the purpose of spray was not to beat the tolls, because that is illegal. However, Pennsylvania and Delaware have laws on the books that make it illegal to deface or obscure a license plate.