Smart traffic lights that contact road users’ phones pose privacy risks that our governments have probably not properly considered. The Dutch Data Protection Authority warns about this.
Smart traffic lights make contact – often without people knowing – with (traffic) apps on smartphones of road users. The traffic lights not only measure how much traffic passes by, but can ‘map entire journeys, including date, time and speed’. This even makes it possible to identify people, the AP warns. “This can be valuable information for malicious parties. The risk of so-called hacks should therefore not be underestimated.”
The AP urges Minister Mark Harbers (Infrastructure and Water Management) in a letter to investigate whether the traffic lights comply with privacy legislation (GDPR). According to the authority, it is not always clear who is responsible for collecting and using the data and with whom exactly it is shared. The regulator has already drawn the ministry’s attention to the dangers in 2021 and still sees carelessness, while smart traffic lights are being installed more and more often.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl