On Wednesday, Minister of the Interior Igor Taro halted the use of license plate recognition cameras. This will remain in effect until the necessary legal amendments are made. Michal said that this decision is reasonable. The police's reliability is high and it must be maintained.
Michal said that when collecting data in public spaces, it must be clear who is collecting the data and how it is used. It must also be clear how the data is deleted and who has access to it. Only in this way is our privacy ensured.
Michal said that the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) initiated an internal investigation. Its purpose is to clarify how the use of cameras should be regulated in the future. Michal added that the cameras date back to 2009. At that time, privacy breaches were not understood as well as they are now.
Michal said that the laws must have clear rules regarding the use of cameras. Cameras record in public spaces and are used to prevent crime. Parliament must discuss how to use cameras, especially in cases of serious crime. The first basis for this is the report from the Data Protection Inspectorate (AKI).
Michal said that in the future, it must be clear how public cameras are used. All rules must be in place. He awaits debate and proposals from AKI. Michal added that in public spaces, it must be clear where information is collected. If the goal is to prevent serious crime, the location of cameras cannot always be announced. However, the maintenance of databases must be publicly clear.
At the end of April, Eesti Ekspress wrote that the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) uses over 200 license plate recognition cameras. Every month, over 20 million images of vehicles are taken.