2009-12-11
The Central Office of Roads (vejdirektoratet) has made a secret and most likely illegal deal with the police about delivering video material of big roads in the Copenhagen area after the climate conference.
The Central Office of Roads monitors big roads to gather statistical information about traffics. It's normal to gather this kind of information, and they don't save the data but deletes it regularly. They don't monitor all roads, but it's normal to monitor major traffical intersections in Copenhagen. According to the personal data legislation, it is only legal to monitor public roads if they can guarantee that the data is deleted again.
According to the Personal Data Administration (datatilsynet) decisions about monitoring of public roads (Danish), the Central Office of Roads only monitor with the purpose of seeking better traffic security and to gather statistical information regarding the traffical situation. Information about private persons will be covered by the legislation about personal data. Because the collected data will not be saved, and because the monitoring has a specific and legitimate purpose, the monitoring is legal.
It has come to our knowledge that the police gets the monitored material from the roads of Copenhagen delivered after the climate conference. According to the Personal Data Administration's decision, this must be seen as a violation, when the Central Office of Roads deliver these data to the police.