[Relevance to cycling: cyclists are keen to see the imposition of LEZ,
ULEZ, Congestion charges and the like, nominally as part of the ‘clean air’
trope but in reality as a contribution to the ‘car delenda est’ programme]

ULEZ fines scandal: Italian police ‘illegally accessed’ thousands of EU
drivers’ data

Italy’s data protection body is investigating claims – denied by TfL – that
police shared names and addresses with firm collecting penalties from
drivers

Anna Tims
Thu 8 Feb 2024 18.46 GMT

The names and addresses of thousands of EU drivers were unlawfully accessed
by Italian police and shared with the company that collects Ulez penalties
on behalf of Transport for London (TfL), investigators believe.

The Italian data protection authority is investigating claims by Belgium’s
government that an unnamed police department misused official powers to
pass the personal details of Belgian drivers to Euro Parking Collections,
which is employed by TfL to issue fines to enforce London’s low emission
zone (Lez) and ultra-low emission zone.

Authorities in the Netherlands and Germany have stated that their databases
were also illegally accessed by an agent in Italy in what one Belgium MP
has called “the biggest data and privacy breach in EU history”.

TfL denies the claims. It said Euro Parking confirmed it had not used an
Italian police department to access driver details.

The fines are alleged to have been issued illegally because since Brexit,
national laws allow the UK to access the personal data of EU citizens only
for criminal offences, and breaching Ulez rules is a civil contravention.

Britain’s departure from the EU means there are now questions about how TfL
can enforce compliance with London’s clean air rules for foreign vehicles.

The allegations come less than two years after a court bailiff in Belgium
was suspended on suspicion of unlawfully accessing the Belgian vehicle
database on behalf of Euro Parking.

The issue could tarnish London’s international standing, according to the
Liberal Democrat London assembly member Caroline Pidgeon. She has demanded
that TfL stop using Euro Parking to issue fines to EU citizens until it can
be sure the company’s methods are legally compliant.

“This is yet another worrying testimony calling into question the practices
being used by TfL and its partner to collect drivers’ information from
inside the EU,” she said.

“If this data is not being collected lawfully it would represent an
extremely serious data breach that would seriously damage the reputation of
London as a world-leading tourist destination, in addition to the
reputation of the mayor of London and TfL.”

An investigation by the Guardian last month revealed hundreds of thousands
of British immigrants and EU nationals had been wrongly issued with Ulez
fines, according to European governments, with some amounting to thousands
of pounds, since the Brexit transitional period ended in December 2020.

Euro Parking has issued more than 330,000 penalties, some totalling
thousands of euros, since 2021.

Many of the drivers were fined after omitting to pre-register
emissions-compliant vehicles before driving into London. Others were
ordered to pay £2,000 for each day they visited the capital after their
cars were wrongly classed as heavy diesel vehicles and triggered charges
under the separate Lez scheme.

In 2022, a court bailiff in Belgium was accused of exploiting its official
access to the country’s national vehicle database to pass the names and
addresses of more than 20,000 drivers to Euro Parking. The bailiff is now
subject to disciplinary proceedings and faces a possible criminal
investigation.

TfL initially claimed that no fines had been sent to Belgian residents
since March 2022 when it was informed of the investigations. However, a
freedom of information request (FoI) by the Guardian revealed that more
than 17,000 fines were issued to Belgian drivers between March 2022 and
October 2023.

TfL, in its response to the FoI, said: “We are aware that the Belgian
National Chamber of Judicial Officers issued a notice on 23 March 2022 that
stopped the country’s [vehicle registration agency] DIV sharing data with
companies who were passing it on to foreign authorities. [Euro Parking]
have not used this method to obtain Belgium keeper details since the
ruling. However, the ruling does not prevent [Euro Parking] from obtaining
keeper details directly from the DIV which has been the method used for
PCNs [penalty charge notices] issued to Belgium registered vehicles after
23 March 2022.”

The Belgian transport ministry has confirmed DIV is not permitted to share
data with Euro Parking or TfL for UK civil enforcement and says it has
since found evidence that the company has been obtaining the information
via an Italian police force. The force has been accused of exploiting
official EU data-sharing systems without disclosing that the information
was for UK enforcement.

Italy operates four national police forces with different responsibilities
and Belgian officials have not disclosed which force or officers are being
investigated.

The Belgian transport minister, Georges Gilkinet, said: “It is unacceptable
that privacy laws were not respected. The investigations are still ongoing,
but I have asked my department to take all necessary steps against
intermediaries who illegally consulted the Belgian registration database.”

The transport ministry has written to the European Commission demanding new
safeguards to prevent privacy laws being abused by rogue operators.
Meanwhile, Belgium has ordered its London embassy to raise the issue of
illegal data gathering with TfL executives.

TfL, which speaks on behalf of Euro Parking, has claimed it stopped
requesting Belgian driver details for Ulez and Lez enforcement last
September. A spokesperson said: “Any company working on our behalf is
contractually required to ensure that data is processed in line with the
relevant data protection legislation. We work closely with EPC to ensure
all elements of the contract are being adhered to and have mechanisms in
place should they not be fulfilled. EPC have confirmed that they have not
used an Italian police department to access driver details.”

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/08/ulez-fines-scandal-italian-police-illegally-accessed-thousands-of-eu-drivers-data>

--
Spike

Spike <aero.spike@mail.com> wrote:

> [Relevance to cycling: cyclists are keen to see the imposition of LEZ,
> ULEZ, Congestion charges and the like, nominally as part of the ‘clean
> air’ trope but in reality as a contribution to the ‘car delenda est’ programme]

> <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/08/ulez-fines-scandal-italian-police-illegally-accessed-thousands-of-eu-drivers-data>

“Authorities in the Netherlands and Germany have stated that their
databases were also illegally accessed by an agent in Italy in what one
Belgium MP has called “the biggest data and privacy breach in EU history”.

TfL denies the claims. It said Euro Parking confirmed it had not used an
Italian police department to access driver details.”

--
Spike

Spike <aero.spike@mail.com> wrote:

> [Relevance to cycling: cyclists are keen to see the imposition of LEZ,
> ULEZ, Congestion charges and the like, nominally as part of the ‘clean air’
> trope but in reality as a contribution to the ‘car delenda est’ programme]

> <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/08/ulez-fines-scandal-italian-police-illegally-accessed-thousands-of-eu-drivers-data>

“An investigation by the Guardian last month revealed hundreds of thousands
of British immigrants and EU nationals had been wrongly issued with Ulez
fines, according to European governments, with some amounting to thousands
of pounds, since the Brexit transitional period ended in December 2020.

Euro Parking has issued more than 330,000 penalties, some totalling
thousands of euros, since 2021.”

--
Spike

Spike <aero.spike@mail.com> wrote:

> [Relevance to cycling: cyclists are keen to see the imposition of LEZ,
> ULEZ, Congestion charges and the like, nominally as part of the ‘clean air’
> trope but in reality as a contribution to the ‘car delenda est’ programme]

> ULEZ fines scandal: Italian police ‘illegally accessed’ thousands of EU
> drivers’ data

> <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/08/ulez-fines-scandal-italian-police-illegally-accessed-thousands-of-eu-drivers-data>

“Euro Parking has issued more than 330,000 penalties, some totalling
thousands of euros, since 2021.

Many of the drivers were fined after omitting to pre-register
emissions-compliant vehicles before driving into London. Others were
ordered to pay £2,000 for each day they visited the capital after their
cars were wrongly classed as heavy diesel vehicles and triggered charges
under the separate Lez scheme”

--
Spike

Spike <aero.spike@mail.com> wrote:

> [Relevance to cycling: cyclists are keen to see the imposition of LEZ,
> ULEZ, Congestion charges and the like, nominally as part of the ‘clean air’
> trope but in reality as a contribution to the ‘car delenda est’ programme]

> ULEZ fines scandal: Italian police ‘illegally accessed’ thousands of EU
> drivers’ data

> <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/08/ulez-fines-scandal-italian-police-illegally-accessed-thousands-of-eu-drivers-data>

“TfL initially claimed that no fines had been sent to Belgian residents
since March 2022 when it was informed of the investigations. However, a
freedom of information request (FoI) by the Guardian revealed that more
than 17,000 fines were issued to Belgian drivers between March 2022 and
October 2023.”

--
Spike

On 10/02/2024 08:49 am, Spike wrote:

> Spike <aero.spike@mail.com> wrote:
>
>> [Relevance to cycling: cyclists are keen to see the imposition of LEZ,
>> ULEZ, Congestion charges and the like, nominally as part of the ‘clean air’
>> trope but in reality as a contribution to the ‘car delenda est’ programme]
>
>> <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/08/ulez-fines-scandal-italian-police-illegally-accessed-thousands-of-eu-drivers-data>
>
> “An investigation by the Guardian last month revealed hundreds of thousands
> of British immigrants and EU nationals had been wrongly issued with Ulez
> fines, according to European governments, with some amounting to thousands
> of pounds, since the Brexit transitional period ended in December 2020.
>
> Euro Parking has issued more than 330,000 penalties, some totalling
> thousands of euros, since 2021.”

Who and what did the Graun mean by "British immigrants"?

JNugent <jnugent97@mail.com> wrote:
> On 10/02/2024 08:49 am, Spike wrote:
>
>> Spike <aero.spike@mail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> [Relevance to cycling: cyclists are keen to see the imposition of LEZ,
>>> ULEZ, Congestion charges and the like, nominally as part of the ‘clean air’
>>> trope but in reality as a contribution to the ‘car delenda est’ programme]
>>
>>> <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/08/ulez-fines-scandal-italian-police-illegally-accessed-thousands-of-eu-drivers-data>
>>
>> “An investigation by the Guardian last month revealed hundreds of thousands
>> of British immigrants and EU nationals had been wrongly issued with Ulez
>> fines, according to European governments, with some amounting to thousands
>> of pounds, since the Brexit transitional period ended in December 2020.

>> Euro Parking has issued more than 330,000 penalties, some totalling
>> thousands of euros, since 2021.”

> Who and what did the Graun mean by "British immigrants"?

Who knows? This is The Gruniad in full-on righteous mode…

--
Spike

Spike <aero.spike@mail.com> wrote:

> [Relevance to cycling: cyclists are keen to see the imposition of LEZ,
> ULEZ, Congestion charges and the like, nominally as part of the ‘clean air’
> trope but in reality as a contribution to the ‘car delenda est’ programme]

> ULEZ fines scandal: Italian police ‘illegally accessed’ thousands of EU
> drivers’ data

[…]

> <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/08/ulez-fines-scandal-italian-police-illegally-accessed-thousands-of-eu-drivers-data>

“The Belgian transport minister, Georges Gilkinet, said: “It is
unacceptable that privacy laws were not respected. The investigations are
still ongoing, but I have asked my department to take all necessary steps
against intermediaries who illegally consulted the Belgian registration
database.”

The transport ministry has written to the European Commission demanding new
safeguards to prevent privacy laws being abused by rogue operators.
Meanwhile, Belgium has ordered its London embassy to raise the issue of
illegal data gathering with TfL executives.”

--
Spike

On 11/02/2024 11:21 am, Spike wrote:

> Spike <aero.spike@mail.com> wrote:
>
>> [Relevance to cycling: cyclists are keen to see the imposition of LEZ,
>> ULEZ, Congestion charges and the like, nominally as part of the ‘clean air’
>> trope but in reality as a contribution to the ‘car delenda est’ programme]
>
>> ULEZ fines scandal: Italian police ‘illegally accessed’ thousands of EU
>> drivers’ data
>
> […]
>
>> <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/08/ulez-fines-scandal-italian-police-illegally-accessed-thousands-of-eu-drivers-data>
>
> “The Belgian transport minister, Georges Gilkinet, said: “It is
> unacceptable that privacy laws were not respected. The investigations are
> still ongoing, but I have asked my department to take all necessary steps
> against intermediaries who illegally consulted the Belgian registration
> database.”
>
> The transport ministry has written to the European Commission demanding new
> safeguards to prevent privacy laws being abused by rogue operators...

....such as Sadist Khan and his minions?

> Meanwhile, Belgium has ordered its London embassy to raise the issue of
> illegal data gathering with TfL executives.”

JNugent <jnugent97@mail.com> wrote:
> On 11/02/2024 11:21 am, Spike wrote:
>
>> Spike <aero.spike@mail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> [Relevance to cycling: cyclists are keen to see the imposition of LEZ,
>>> ULEZ, Congestion charges and the like, nominally as part of the ‘clean air’
>>> trope but in reality as a contribution to the ‘car delenda est’ programme]
>>
>>> ULEZ fines scandal: Italian police ‘illegally accessed’ thousands of EU
>>> drivers’ data
>>
>> […]
>>
>>> <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/08/ulez-fines-scandal-italian-police-illegally-accessed-thousands-of-eu-drivers-data>
>>
>> “The Belgian transport minister, Georges Gilkinet, said: “It is
>> unacceptable that privacy laws were not respected. The investigations are
>> still ongoing, but I have asked my department to take all necessary steps
>> against intermediaries who illegally consulted the Belgian registration
>> database.”
>>
>> The transport ministry has written to the European Commission demanding new
>> safeguards to prevent privacy laws being abused by rogue operators...

> ...such as Sadist Khan and his minions?

I suspect ‘Horizon’-style tropes to be trotted out in considerable numbers
in an exercise of which Pontius Pilate would be in admiration at the scale
of the imitation if not admiration.

>> Meanwhile, Belgium has ordered its London embassy to raise the issue of
>> illegal data gathering with TfL executives.”
>

--
Spike