AT parking cars ‘videoing everything they see’ on streets and private property

Summarised by Centrist

Auckland Transport operates 25 mobile camera cars capable of recording identifiable people, private properties and geolocated licence plates across much of the city, but says it has no privacy impact assessment for the system.

The extent of the recording emerged after Aucklander Paul Ryan challenged four $85 parking tickets and requested the raw footage AT intended to rely on in court.

Instead of receiving only images of his alleged parking offences, Ryan was given hours of video showing people on streets, around homes and businesses, in church grounds and parks, and vehicles parked outside council-controlled areas.

“What I received was video footage of pretty much everything going on in Parnell on those streets at that time of day,” Ryan said.

The footage also captured people entering a Botox clinic and a medicinal cannabis dispensary. Ryan said the system appeared capable of automatically recognising licence plates and attaching a time and location to them.

“(T)hese cars are driving around Auckland streets videoing everything they see, in both public streets and in private property,” he said. 

AT says its 25 camera vehicles cover all residential parking zones and about 75% of Auckland’s town and city centres. It says footage not required for enforcement is deleted and images may be shared with police where legislation permits.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner said agencies “should not collect more personal information than is required”. 

Ryan had hoped his defended hearing would test the legality of AT’s system. Instead, AT withdrew all four infringement notices on the day of the hearing.

Read more at the NZ Herald

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