Hosein: New licence plates threaten privacy

OPPOSITION Senator Saddam Hosein warned that a new system of microchips on motor vehicle licence plates, known as radio frequency (RF) tagging, could pose a serious threat to individuals' personal privacy. He was speaking on Wednesday in the Senate on debate on the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2019.

He said RF tagging has been used in many jurisdictions, such Canada, the US and UK, but privacy concerns were raised in a CNN article dated 18 July 2013, titled ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) raises privacy concerns about police tracking drivers.

Hosein said the article said US police were collecting information on drivers and then storing it for years towards unknown ends. Some 26,000 pages of drivers’ data was collected and stored across 600 US police departments, he reported.

Hosein warned, police had used that information to track certain individuals and that could have ended up as a misuse of that data.

He said the bill will let radio receivers be placed all over TT by which any individual’s vehicle could be identified, leading TT into choppy waters regarding personal privacy.

"Where will data be stored and who will have access to the data? For how long are we going to store this data? What are the restrictions on the use of the collected data? In terms of the protection of citizens, can this data be used for criminal investigations? Are the police required to obtain a warrant before they can get this information?

"You have to have protection for citizens because if this is misused it will be an invasion of privacy of citizens, a serious issue that must be addressed."

Hosein accused the Government of having passed legislation on income tax and wire-tapping so as to water down people's privacy and get information about them.

"But when citizens ask for information it is always about secrecy and dark clouds."

He urged the Senate to improve the bill by inserting clauses on privacy and data protection.

Hosein questioned the need for the bill during the covid19 lockdown.

"One has to ask what's the urgency of this. The Senate has been sitting back to back. We got notice of this bill late yesterday evening."

Hosein said the bill otherwise burdens citizens with having to re-register their car every five years for $350 each time. Noting the AG's claim that the bill will improve the criminal justice system, he said crime is now at its highest.

Saying the bill was under debate after a tender had been issued for firms to supply the RF tag system, he asked if Parliament was just a rubber stamp for the Government.

Otherwise, noting 48,000 traffic violations at one traffic light detected by a pilot project by the Ministry of Works and Transport, he said these many errant drivers must be dealt with but infrastructure must be sourced to effect this legislation.