CITY — May 16, 2024 —
In Grimbergen, Belgium, a controversy has erupted over the deployment of route control cameras, a system under fire for privacy concerns and the potential for prioritizing revenue generation. The municipality’s plan to use Automatic Number plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to monitor motorists’ speed has drawn the ire of residents and the Flemish Supervision Committee for the Processing of Personal Data (VTC). Authorities are now determining the proper use of the ANPR, so read on to learn more.
grimbergen’s Route control Controversy: Privacy Concerns Halt Camera System
A Flemish municipality’s attempt to implement trajectory control cameras faces scrutiny over transparency, privacy, and financial motivations.
The Genesis of the Dispute
Several months ago, the municipality of Grimbergen in Flemish Brabant, Belgium, initiated a new mobility plan that included the deployment of trajectory controls on a dozen streets. These systems use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to monitor vehicle speeds. The goal was to ensure drivers did not exceed the maximum permitted speed.
Did You Know?
ANPR cameras are increasingly used worldwide for traffic management,law enforcement,and security purposes.However, their use raises significant privacy concerns, particularly regarding data storage and potential misuse.
However, the rollout was not without its challenges. According to Hans Graux, chairman of the Flemish Supervision Committee for the Processing of Personal Data (VTC), residents raised concerns about the cameras. Some residents had questions about this. They received very different answers from the various municipal services about the goal and usefulness of the cameras, also with regard to privacy aspects. Then they filed a complaint with us.
Privacy Watchdog Steps In
The Flemish supervisory committee sided with the complainants, citing a lack of transparency and a failure to consider less invasive alternatives. The committee emphasized that the municipality did not adequately explore options like road narrowing, which could enhance road safety while better respecting residents’ privacy.
Pro Tip
When implementing surveillance technology, municipalities should prioritize transparency and conduct thorough privacy impact assessments. Engaging with the community and exploring less intrusive alternatives can definitely help build trust and address concerns proactively.
The VTC also questioned the true motivation behind the trajectory controls.According to their decision, the municipal administration’s primary aim was
not road safety but rather to secure a stable income flow
through speeding fines.
Conditions and Restrictions
Consequently, the VTC imposed strict conditions on the municipality’s use of the route controls. Graux stated, Our conditions are the number of ANPR cameras, with which the route controls work, is substantially reduced. And that the municipality is taking measures to ensure that accidental pedestrians and cyclists, who come along on the cameras, are automatically made unrecognizable.
Grimbergen’s Pushback
Undeterred, the municipality of Grimbergen challenged the VTC’s decision before the Council of State, seeking to overturn the prohibition. However, their initial attempt was unsuccessful. Grimbergen has since initiated a new procedure with the Council of State, hoping for a different outcome.
Grimbergen officials warned that the privacy watchdog’s decision can have an impact on all Flemish route controls
and, according to opposition party Open VLD, is ignoring the ban. Open VLD municipal councilor Laurent Vanbinst criticized the continued operation of the cameras,stating,It is hallucinatory for the cameras to continue to work,while the competent authorities officially establish that the Grimbergse Mobility Plan means manifest violations of privacy legislation.
financial Implications and Rebuttals
Ships of Mobility Philip Roosen (N-VA) confirmed that the municipality is not suspending the use of the cameras, stating, After advice with our counsel, we do not suspend the use of the cameras.
He claimed that the municipality had addressed some of the privacy watchdog’s concerns,such as anonymizing pedestrians and cyclists in the camera images.Roosen also refuted the notion that the route controls were solely a revenue-generating scheme.
According to Roosen, The necessary measurements have happened. This showed that trajectory checks via ANPR cameras were the best solution. That the route controls are a revenue model for our municipalities, is not true: after a deduction of the costs-we pay the system fully 100,000 about it-for the past seven months, barely bar.
He suggested that the VTC might be using Grimbergen as a test case to strengthen its regulations on route controls.
Flemish Minister for Mobility Annick de Ridder (N-VA) has also expressed reservations about the increasing use of route controls and has commissioned a study to determine whether financial gains are prioritized over road safety by some municipalities.
FAQ: Route Control Cameras and Privacy
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What are route control cameras?
They are camera systems that use ANPR technology to monitor vehicle speeds over a distance.
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Why are they controversial?
Concerns exist regarding privacy, data storage, and potential misuse of the collected facts.
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What alternatives exist?
Alternatives include road narrowing, speed bumps, and increased traffic enforcement.
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what is ANPR?
Automatic Number Plate Recognition, a technology that allows cameras to read vehicle licence plates automatically.
