[Greens-Media] Cashless Harbour Tunnel: another victory for Big Brother

[Lee Rhiannon]

MEDIA RELEASE
8 July 2007

Cashless Harbour Tunnel: 
another victory for Big Brother

With the Harbour Tunnel becoming cashless today, Greens MP Lee Rhiannon is calling on Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal to explain what action he will take to ensure people's privacy is protected from a potential Big Brother exploitation of the data trail left behind as people travel around Sydney's various cashless toll roads.

"The Harbour Tunnel, Cross City Tunnel, Westlink M7, the Lane Cove Tunnel are now cashless, and soon the M2, with no provision for anonymous use," Ms Rhiannon said. 

"Plans for a public transport 'smart card' for Sydney will leave another data trail.

"Sydneysiders should be able to travel freely around Sydney without being tracked and people should be wary of the risks from this kind of surveillance by stealth. 

"The Iemma government has given private sector toll-road operators free reign to put their profits and convenience before people's privacy. 

"The door is open for government agencies and law enforcement authorities, who have had their powers ramped up disproportionately in recent times, to gain inappropriate access to this information without appropriate judicial control.

"Toll data is also a honey-pot for marketers, who can use profiles of individual's travel patterns to manipulate their behaviour through targeted promotions. 

"Toll-road operators have an obligation under Commonwealth privacy laws to provide an anonymous payment option.

"Unfortunately toll-roads built as public private partnerships fall into a legal grey zone and it's unclear whether federal or state privacy laws govern their operation. 

"It is possible to design tolling systems that promote convenience without compromising privacy, but neither the Iemma government or private toll-road operators are interested.

"This could take the form of retaining some cash booths or designing an e-tag system that does not capture identifying data.

"NSW lacks a strong privacy watchdog to pressure toll road operators to do the right thing and the state's privacy laws are dismally inadequate. 

"At the very least the NSW government should reduce potential damage by requiring that identifying records be destroyed after a limited period," Ms Rhiannon said. 

For more information:  Lee Rhiannon - 0427 861 568