DVLA data powers likely to be abused by foreign officials
Chris Williams writes in The Register:
Personal data belonging to nearly 40 million UK motorists is likely to be abused by foreign officials under new automatic access powers, according to a restricted official report.
Drivers’ details such as name, address, motoring convictions and some medical information will be available to more than two dozen European countries around the clock under the Prüm Convention.
Ministers have emphasised the data-sharing powers are “fundamental to our ability to tackle serious crime, terrorism and illegal immigration”, but a report commissioned by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) admits access to the DVLA will be uncontrolled.
“The UK is aware that this is open to abuse, and that some EU member states are likely to use the Prüm capability for inquiries beyond the defined scope of cross-border crime and counter-terrorism,” it says.
