ANP, 12 May 2015: 'Court finds route control lawful'

"The section control system on the A2 can be used. The subdistrict court in Utrecht ruled that on Tuesday. "There is a legal basis for it," the judge concluded.

Chairman Bas Filippini of the Privacy First foundation provoked a ruling on this by having a fine after a section control system come before the court. According to him, the section control system violates the privacy of innocent motorists. A network of 150 to 200 route control cameras in the Netherlands also records their license plates.

The district judge found that the Police Act provides sufficient legal basis for the use of the current system. He stated that there is a "minor invasion of privacy, the registration of non-offenders is deleted within 72 hours and road users are informed of the check by signs.

That a new law is in the making on the use of the recorded camera images already indicates that the situation was unlawful, Filippini's lawyer argued during the trial. But according to the Utrecht cantonal judge, the upcoming law is about an extension of powers: keeping the data for several weeks instead of 72 hours and additional use for purposes other than speed control.

So the €45 fine in 2012 was valid.

Privacy First calls the ruling disappointing. Filippini: ,,This is a political ruling right up the street of the prosecution and the police. Several top lawyers have indicated to us that they do not see any legal basis for this privacy violation. Every motorist now ends up in a police database as a potential suspect and God knows how that data will be used. It's a travesty that the courts would agree to this.""

Source: ANP, 12 May 2015.