Rfid in vehicles violates right to privacy–legislator

A MILITANT legislator warned on Wednesday that the plan of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to tag vehicles with microchips using radio frequency identification (Rfid) technology may violate the right to privacy.

The LTO earlier claimed that installing Rfid in vehicles would enhance and speed up the vehicle-registration process and provide the authorities and the public a fast means to identify vehicles.

“This technology raises fears that it might be used to violate the right to privacy of individuals. The LTO’s microchips might, in turn, be used as ‘spychips’ for the government’s surveillance operations on those critical of the current administration,” said Party-list Rep. Liza Maza of Gabriela.

Maza issued the statement after the LTO bared that it will begin tagging next month all vehicles with Rfid labels that will enable it to identify and know everything about a specific vehicle with the speed of electronic computing.

The sticker contains a microchip-storing vehicle information that is reportedly tamper-proof and can only be “read” by authorized scanners of the LTO and the police.

“Apparently, the LTO will act like a ‘Big Brother.’ It can be used as a spying device, since radio waves from a microchip will identify all information about the vehicle in real-time basis,” Maza said.

She said the LTO must explain its plan to the public and has to be transparent on how this technology will work and what kind and level of information it will get.

In addition, Maza questioned the cost of the technology, saying it will again burden the people as motorists will have to pay a one-time tagging fee of P350 when they register their vehicles.

“Dagdag bayarin at gastos na naman ito na papasanin ng mga motorista. Kailangang ipaliwanag ng LTO ang planong ito at dahil mukhang mga malalaking kumpanya lang din ang kikita at makikinabang nito,” Maza said.  

The Rfid is a cutting-edge technology that uses radio waves to identify vehicles and related information remotely and in real time. The use of this technology will allow the LTO and other law-enforcement agencies to access vehicle information to aid in traffic management, law enforcement and crime prevention.

“The Rfid technology will revolutionize land transportation in the Philippines. This is a great first step in putting order on our streets,” said Assistant Secretary Arturo Lomibao, LTO chief.

Before being appointed to the LTO, Lomibao was a National Police chief and a veteran intelligence officer.