TomTom on fingers tapped to privacy – update

The Dutch data protection authority has TomTom on the knuckles. The company makes customers not enough clear how the collected data is handled. The company collects information about the routes.

The CBP must TomTom customers better informed about what the with the data that it collects. The company collects more real-time location information, but also historical data about the routes. That his personal data, finds the CBP, but TomTom asks customers not have permission to send that data.

The company asks users only to consent for the collection of anonymous data, but that is not sufficient, sets the CBP. To collect real-time location information is a separate permission is required. TomTom has promised to provide customers with better light and clearer to ask permission.

The offline-versions of TomTom devices to send data on the driving behaviour to the TomTom servers. The smartphone software that the company develops, sends real-time location information. The TomTom devices with internet connection to send both.

Incidentally, violates TomTom, the privacy act, to sell location data to third parties, according to the CBP. That data sells indirectly, including to the police. Such data are, however, kept anonymous, and so are the privacy rules not violated.

Update, 11:45: TomTom let us know that since the controversy about the resale of data to the police in his contracts a ban has issued on the use of location information for speed traps.