Tuesday, August 31, 2010

California Legislature passes Toll Road Privacy Bill

OFF THE WIRE
Question---"What is a Good Cause?'

From: "gill"

www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news.php?NewsID=24296
California Legislature passes Toll Road Privacy Bill
The California State Assembly on Monday voted 57 to 13 to pass a
Watered-down version of a bill giving motorists some privacy protection
When using toll roads. State Senator Joe Simitian authored the original
Legislation, which made it a crime for private companies or state
Agencies to compile detailed driving histories of motorists and share
The information for any purpose other than billing or ticketing with a
Requirement that unneeded information be swiftly purged.
"There's just no reason for a government agency to track the movements
Of Californians, let alone maintain that information in a database
Forever and ever," Simitian said in a statement.
Senate Bill 1268 stated that all account information be purged within
150 days of the date a customer closed his account. Toll road lobbyists
Had the provision amended so that it now reads that such information
Must be purged within four-and-a-half years - or later, if "cost
Constraints" are an issue. Toll road operators such as the South Bay
Expressway (SBX) complained about the expense of deleting files.
The legislation does prohibit transportation agencies from selling the
Broad amount of personal information typically gathered in a toll road
Database, including the driver's travel pattern data, address, telephone
Number, email address, license plate number, photograph, bank account
Information, and credit card number. The legislation would make travel
Histories of motorists available only to law enforcement armed with a
Search warrant or when the officer declares that he has a "good cause".

30 August 2010