GPDP reminds that camera installation in taxis is illegal

The Macau Office for Personal Data Protection (GPDP) is reminding taxi drivers in the city not to install cameras inside their vehicles as that is illegal.

In a statement issued yesterday, the GPDP said it was following a case in Hong Kong, where two Hong Kong celebrities had become intimate inside the vehicle while they were being recorded.

According to the GPDP statement, it is currently illegal for drivers or taxi license owners to install cameras inside their vehicles in Macau.

The city’s data protection law regulates that without the approval of the law or the GPDP, the collection of sensitive information may violate the city’s data protection laws. This entails heavy punishments, which can include two years in prison or a 240-day penalty fine.

Moreover, if the data is published on the internet, the publisher may be subjected to a maximum of three years in prison or a 360-day fine.

Some local taxi drivers have installed driving recorders inside their vehicles for traffic safety reasons.

“Even though the installation of cameras is still controversial, in principle, [driving recorders] can only be used for protecting personal rights similar to other driving recorders installed in private vehicles, and the information can’t be shared on the internet,” said the GPDP.

“The office appeals to all taxi drivers and car owners to comply with the law.” JZ