LMP decries interior ministry’s alleged draft surveillance bill

The interior ministry is preparing to submit a bill to parliament which would enable the mass surveillance of Hungarian citizens and allow authorities to collect and store their data in a central database, green opposition LMP said on Thursday, citing a leaked draft bill.

Ákos Csarnó, LMP’s spokesman, told a press conference the interior ministry was preparing “a new Big Brother law” under which it could widely surveil its own citizens.

He called it “unbelievable” that surveillance footage captured by law enforcement, public area inspectors, transportation services, road toll operators and public road operators would be stored in a central database under the proposed law. Even hotels would be required to store their guests’ personal details, which is unconstitutional, Csarnó insisted.

Csarnó said that rather than aid counter-terrorism efforts and the work of law enforcement, such a law would only increase their workloads.

He said LMP had turned to Interior Minister Sándor Pintér in the matter and would enquire about the draft bill at next month’s meeting of parliament’s national security committee.

Source: MTI