Deakin Criminologists respond to Geelong taxi ID scanning scheme
The Victorian government has proposed the introduction of a new scheme to scan the ID of all Geelong taxi passengers. Transport minister, Terry Mulder has announced that taxi rank “marshals” in Geelong will use portable equipment to record taxi and passenger details electronically. The scheme is part of a Victorian Government promise to improve the safety of taxi passengers and drivers.
In response to the state government’s proposal Deakin Criminologists, Associate Prof Darren Palmer and Dr Ian Warren, have highlighted the potential breaches of privacy principles that could result from the scheme. An article published in The Examiner on 16 May quotes Associate Prof Darren Palmer and Dr Ian Warren, both experts in the area of surveillance and policing technologies, on their concerns surrounding the use of ID scanners and breaches of the Australian privacy principles. Specifically, Palmer and Warren argue that the scheme could breach three principles:
- the prohibition on the collection of personal information unless it’s necessary;
- prohibition requiring an individual to provide a unique identifier; and
- allowing an individual the ability to transact anonymously, where this is lawful.
To read the full article, written by Mahesh Sharma, click here.