A DATABASE THAT stored information on when and where free travel passes were used was in place at the Department of Social Protection up to 2020 — when it was then deleted in its entirety.
However, this journey data was linked to an Integrated Ticketing System number which the Department of Social Protection generates for free travel customers and can be linked back to their personal details including names, addresses, photos and contact details through a separate DSP database. Free travel journey details were stored in a Department of Social Protection database up to 2020 Source: Sasko Lazarov via RollingNews.ie
A letter to the Data Protection Commission from Department of Social Protection’s Data Protection Unit, seen by Noteworthy, stated that “prior to February 2020, information was transferred from the ITS ticket system to the Department to assess the usage of Free Travel for the administration and funding of the scheme”.
It was in response to Senator Alice Mary Higgins commenting that “the travel pass is another area of blanket indefinite retention”. She stated: “We have learned that the movements and journeys of over 1 million people who are on the statutory pension or have a disability are tracked.” The Department’s letter to the DPC stated that from May 2020, it received “monthly summary-only data” from the NTA which only includes information on “the number of journeys undertaken by Free Travel cardholders, by card type ” and not individual journeys.
Martin McMahon, who made the complaint to the Data Protection Commission, believes that the Department could “tell exactly who was where, when” using the now deleted database. McMahon’s complaint to the DPC – made over two years ago and now proceeding – originated from a Subject Access Request to the Department to receive a copy of his personal data in relation to his own free travel card.
Given this data is associated with ITS numbers it is considered pseudonymised data. However, guidance from the Data Protection Commission states that “pseudonymisation is not the same as anonymisation and should not be equated as such” and that “the information remains personal data”.
noteworthy_ie This is huge.
And the journal doesn't gather data with their polls etc..
noteworthy_ie mhdelaney If the practice has ended, why don't we concentrate on live issues?
noteworthy_ie mhdelaney Has to for the books. Many private transport companies, anyway what's to hide ?
noteworthy_ie mhdelaney This investigation needs to be taken into TII and every Co Council with CCTV and number plate reading technology on our roads network
noteworthy_ie mhdelaney 1984 anyone