The Personal Data Authority (AP) has serious concerns about a government plan to create a database of all cab transportation. Data for this central database will be provided in real time.
Its purpose is to make it easier for the Environmental and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) to check whether cab drivers are working in accordance with the law. The current proposal involves creating a database of all cab journeys in the Netherlands. The GPS coordinates of the starting and ending points will be sent to the ILT.
"With GPS coordinates, it is often possible to find out at which residence someone was picked up, and what the destination was," says the supervisor. "A data breach is often in a small corner. Through a mistake, a malicious employee or a hacker. We have seen this go wrong often enough, including at government agencies," let AP board member Katja Mur know.
Another risk the AP sees is the risk of function creep. The data is then used for other things. "Maybe the police want access. Or the Tax Office and the municipality might find it useful, to check whether people are not defrauding with benefits or allowances. By linking that data back to other data, the government can follow people closely. We should not want that," says Mur.
