Data ombudsman says biometric ID system helps fight terrorism

Budapest, September 28 (MTI) – Attila Peterfalvi, Hungary’s data protection ombudsman, outlined concerns in connection with the current wave of migration and defended the amended law on freedom of information, in an interview published in daily Magyar Idok on Monday.

He said migrants entering the country and the continent en masse without identification is cause for concern.

“The much-criticised biometric identification system helps fight terrorism,” Peterfalvi told the paper. He said the new face identification system based on biometric templates used in Hungary was a good solution by which privacy rights were not infringed. Using this data is only justifiable by national security reasons, he told the paper.

Commenting on the amendment of the law on informational self-determination and information freedom, Peterfalvi said the changes were in line with the constitution. He said it was reasonable that those who request access to public data must identify themselves, as the authority has no right to verify their personal data.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters