Security.co.uk, 28 Oct 2012: 'Privacy watchdog against prostitution database'

"Next week, the Senate is debating a bill to tackle abuses in the prostitution industry, but the proposed central prostitution database could raise all kinds of new problems. Privacy watchdog Privacy First warns of this. Not only will compulsory registration of prostitutes lead to a shift of prostitution to the illegal circuit, it also violates the right to privacy.

"This is, after all, registration of sensitive personal data. This is prohibited under section 16 Wbp and constitutes a violation of Article 8 ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights )," said director Vincent Böhre. Who also warns of the stigmatising effect of registering prostitutes.

Safety
"Moreover, the security of this registration cannot possibly be guaranteed and there is the danger of function creep. Therefore, the supposed benefits of registration do not outweigh the risks of data breaches, hacking, unauthorised and adventitious use, now and in the future," Böhre notes. "From this, moreover, new risks of abuse and blackmail arise."

According to the privacy watchdog, fighting crime and human trafficking should not be done through risky registration of prostitutes, but through more effective detection, prosecution and trial of perpetrators without endangering victims."

Source: Security.co.uk