All visitors’ passports to be scanned from next year in Hungary
All visitors who stay in Hungarian accommodations will have to give their passport to be scanned so that their data could be stored in a central database from next year. Collecting the photographs on the documents, however, is against the law.
According to Szabad Európa, a Government Decree from August states that it would be mandatory to scan the ID documents of all guests in any Hungarian accommodation. The visitors’ data will be collected and stored in a central database.
There is a slight issue with this, however, concerning data protection. As Ádám Remport, member of the legal staff at TASZ (Hungarian Civil Liberties Union), told Szabad Európa, the authorisation to manage photographs that are on ID documents is not included in the Hungarian law on tourism.
The Hungarian National Tourism Data Supply Centre was established in 2018 to process and store the data of visitors in order to learn about their habits, which is important for the further development of tourism. The data supply centre is authorised to process data such as the name, place and time of birth, sex, nationality, mother’s name, data about the travel document, and data about entering the country (place, time), but the law does not include managing photographs.
According to the data supply centre’s website, they only manage statistical data and not personal data, but at the same time, the police can query the database, and they also forward data to the immigration police on guests from outside of the European Union.
Attila Péterfalvi, the president of the Hungarian National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, confirmed that scanning the whole document is definitely unlawful. He said the machines that would be used to read identification documents from any country will have to record only the data which is included in the law. Péterfalvi also mentioned that the Ministry of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office did not consult with the National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information beforehand on the matter, even though they should have, due to the risk included in the considered data processing.
On the other hand, identification document photographs are also problematic because they are treated as biometric data, and the processing of such data is subject to very strict conditions within European data protection rules.
Read alsoHortobágy is among the top 25 destinations in the world according to National Geographic
Read also5+1 Hungarian regions to visit in winter
Source: Szabad Európa
please make a donation here
Hot news
Top Hungary news: American woman with Irish murderer on VIDEO, Prince Buda and Princess Pest – 24 November, 2024
Opposition leader Magyar banned from Hungarian children’s homes, welcomed by crowds in “Fidesz’s capital”
One of the world’s most beautiful libraries is in Budapest, and it’s turning 120 – PHOTOS
Have you ever heard the story or seen the statue of Prince Buda and Princess Pest? – PHOTOS
Hungary proud on scientists, increased R+D sector funding significantly
American teacher faces expulsion from Hungary after a 10-year career in Budapest
3 Comments
I can see that the age, gender and nationality might be useful to compile tourist statistics. Name is not really relevant, the ID or Passport number would suffice. But a mothers Maiden name is absolutely none of the National Tourist Centre‘s business. If this permitted I hope someone challenges this at EU level.
Paulus, if someone is on the internet, has a phone, a computer or travels to a foreign country, then they voluntarily give away their privacy!
@Marc: I do not know about Hungarian passports, but UK passports do not state ‘Mothers name’ on them. I have also checked my Sealand ID card and that does not state it either. So, if I were a tourist coming here (as opposed to being a resident) I could give any name I choose for ‘Mothers name’ and the Tourist Centre would none the wiser. They would have no way of verfying it.