Surveillance of Bridge Traffic

Authorities in Canada are trying to reassure the public that tracking bridge traffic and privacy can co-exist:

“As the first electronically tolled bridge in western Canada, slated for completion in spring 2009, it will be equipped with toll sensors and digital cameras to track the identification of every vehicle that travels on the one-kilometre span.

But TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie said people shouldn’t worry about their privacy being invaded.”

link: Vehicles will be tracked, but privacy will be guarded on Golden Ears Bridge, TransLink says

It appears that, theoretically, only the police and billing agents will have access to the tracking data. TransLink does not state how long these records in this data base will be maintained. Further, there seems to be a fundamental difference in the interpretation of the term ‘privacy’. Mr Hardie reassures that privacy will not be invaded. Unfortunately, the surveillance, recording and tracking of citizens is, in itself, an invasion of privacy.

Catherine Forsythe