The Dutch data protection authority (AP) has fined the police €50,000 for the unauthorized use of cameras. With this, the police checked whether people kept a distance of 1.5 meters from each other during the corona crisis.
“During the corona virus, cameras were deployed in Rotterdam, without first identifying privacy risks,” the watchdog said in a press release on Wednesday.
According to the AP, the cars they were driving collected and stored detailed images of people. The research also showed that the cameras took too many images that weren’t needed. But the PA says it cannot impose a fine for such a violation.
The images were shot over five weeks in 2020 from two cars equipped with 360-degree cameras. The municipality and the police wanted to use it to check whether people kept a distance of 1.5 meters from each other. The collected images were viewed in a control room and forwarded to other police posts.
“You want to be able to walk freely on the street in the Netherlands. Without having to expect the government to make clear recordings of you from moving cars. And for these to go to the control room, so that the government can identify you and take action against yourself if you wish,” says Katja Mur, board member of AP.
According to the supervisor, the police acknowledged the violation. However, the police can still appeal the fine.
