Gardai giving out personal info?

Hotblack Desiato

cjmc wrote: »

or working on a forcloser issue

The problem with this country is that there aren't enough reposessions. Too many wasters hanging onto properties they've refused to pay anything for for years, while ordinary borrowers and renters get shafted. The "free gaff" brigade are laughing at you.

Hotblack Desiato

TheBoyConor wrote: »

but that means nothing because of your are not looking for compensation then you are simply doing it out of a vexation and to fulfill a vendetta

And if he was looking for compensation, you'd condemn him for that too

skooterblue2

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Yeah you never want it to happen again.
but that means nothing because of your are not looking for compensation then you are simply doing it out of a vexation and to fulfill a vendetta against whatever Garda might have given the information out.

Be careful. If you get a Garda in trouble, they will know it was you reported them and they will be out to get your for years to come and they may have their buddies tipped off to give your a hard time.
I'm talking more frequent visits, inspections of your activities, pulling you for traffic issues, doing you over a slightly worn tyre or a blown bulb. Just making your life awkward.
Are you willing to go down that road just to prove some point on gdpr?

Kindly remind us of the last few guys who crossed AGS?
Maurice McCabe?
That female Garda on the Drugs squad who reported a colleague whenever he was on a case it went "tits up"?
I am sure there was more than that out there.

Atlantic Dawn

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Yeah you never want it to happen again.
but that means nothing because of your are not looking for compensation then you are simply doing it out of a vexation and to fulfill a vendetta against whatever Garda might have given the information out.

Be careful. If you get a Garda in trouble, they will know it was you reported them and they will be out to get your for years to come and they may have their buddies tipped off to give your a hard time.
I'm talking more frequent visits, inspections of your activities, pulling you for traffic issues, doing you over a slightly worn tyre or a blown bulb. Just making your life awkward.
Are you willing to go down that road just to prove some point on gdpr?
If you were looking for Garda vetting they might block it saying that there were complaints of you snooping with a drone. Might have been spying on underage children with it, etc.
Be very very careful. The gardai look out for themselves, they are not too be messed with our vexed as you will come out the worst of it.

Yes the honest people lived in Donegal and were exposed to a wall of corruption for years, the majority of Gardai who do great jobs working within the law should welcome the policing of corrupt not for purposecolleagues who need to be exposed.

People who would sit down and accept being rode sideways by corrupt Gardai are few and far between. I have dashcam and mobile recording at every single interaction, give respect get respect.

Reati

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Again, what I was doing was entirely legal and above board. If a garda car pulled up at my house, as has happened before, I'd have no issue with that.

The reason you were taking the pictures might be but I as mentioned you may have crosses a few lines that could be used agasint you with regards the drone.

1. If you operated the drone from the callers private carpark without permission.
2. If you were within 30 metres of the callers property.
3. If you were inside a town boundary then 120 metres from the property.

There is also privacy and data retention concerns. Depending on why you are collecting these images, if I needed a civil case against you, I'd be starting with these. If you hold a valid IAA license I'd imagine you're aware of these. Even if you don't, the IAA view is ignorance of the law isn't a defense.

Aside: I assume your drone is registered with the IAA (of not another point to be used against you). If so you should have a sticker with ID on it. That ID would be tied to your name and phone number. Another place to find out who you are.

AudreyHepburn

While I do understand the need for GDPR I honestly think the only thing it’s achieved at this point is that it’s turned the most rational thinking people into paranoid fools.

Not every use of your personal data as a breach or the result of dodgy dealing.

The OP has said he’s self employed. Therefore he’s depending on customers coming to him for so his contact information has to be easily accessible. He most likely has a website or page on social media with his details on it. Perhaps he’s handed out business cards.

Also a lot of his work would probably come from one person recommending to another and passing on his contact details. There is nothing illegal about any of this.

As for the business owner - are people here honestly trying to say that if a stranger parked their car on their private property (be it commercial or residential) without permission and started flying a drone overhead taking photographs they wouldn’t be suspicious? Not to mention that this stranger then acts very cagey when asked what he’s doing.

A little logical thinking would go a long way here I think.

odyssey06

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

The OP has said he’s self employed. Therefore he’s depending on customers coming to him for so his contact information has to be easily accessible. He most likely has a website or page on social media with his details on it.

With his car reg on it?

Perhaps he’s handed out business cards. Also a lot of his work would probably come from one person recommending to another and passing on his contact details. There is nothing illegal about any of this.

We have no evidence of this. If that was how the business owner obtained the information they would have just said so and the story would have ended.

As for the business owner - are people here honestly trying to say that if a stranger parked their car on their private property (be it commercial or residential) without permission and started flying a drone overhead taking photographs they wouldn’t be suspicious? Not to mention that this stranger then acts very cagey when asked what he’s doing.

Secondary to the topic in hand. The owner has the right to be suspicious, and report the OP, they do not have the right to break the law or induce another to break the law or professional codes of conduct to illegally acquire information about the OP.

Midnight_EG

People underestimate how easy it is to get somebodies details with just a car reg. There's plenty of ways, especially if you're in (or know somebody in) the motor trade.

Feisar

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Yeah you never want it to happen again.
but that means nothing because of your are not looking for compensation then you are simply doing it out of a vexation and to fulfill a vendetta against whatever Garda might have given the information out.

Be careful. If you get a Garda in trouble, they will know it was you reported them and they will be out to get your for years to come and they may have their buddies tipped off to give your a hard time.
I'm talking more frequent visits, inspections of your activities, pulling you for traffic issues, doing you over a slightly worn tyre or a blown bulb. Just making your life awkward.
Are you willing to go down that road just to prove some point on gdpr?
If you were looking for Garda vetting they might block it saying that there were complaints of you snooping with a drone. Might have been spying on underage children with it, etc.
Be very very careful. The gardai look out for themselves, they are not too be messed with our vexed as you will come out the worst of it.

The, don't eff with me, I've 10,000 brothers and sisters rule.

Kenny Logins

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

While I do understand the need for GDPR I honestly think the only thing it’s achieved at this point is that it’s turned the most rational thinking people into paranoid fools.

Not every use of your personal data as a breach or the result of dodgy dealing.

The OP has said he’s self employed. Therefore he’s depending on customers coming to him for so his contact information has to be easily accessible. He most likely has a website or page on social media with his details on it. Perhaps he’s handed out business cards.

Also a lot of his work would probably come from one person recommending to another and passing on his contact details. There is nothing illegal about any of this.

As for the business owner - are people here honestly trying to say that if a stranger parked their car on their private property (be it commercial or residential) without permission and started flying a drone overhead taking photographs they wouldn’t be suspicious? Not to mention that this stranger then acts very cagey when asked what he’s doing.

A little logical thinking would go a long way here I think.

You're completely missing the point - this man was able to connect a reg number from CCTV to a phone number. That's a clear breach of data protection.

AudreyHepburn

Kenny Logins wrote: »

You're completely missing the point - this man was able to connect a reg number from CCTV to a phone number. That's a clear breach of data protection.

Given that we don’t know how he obtained the information we can’t say for sure that any breach has occurred.

Again not every incident of someone have access to your data is a breach.

So GSOC pretty much said it's an unusual one and not something they'd be overly familiar with in relation to dealing with it.

They did say the complaint would effectively be a 'misuse of resources' complaint and that they could in theory follow up with it. However, although he did say that Pulse does indeed log when someone looked you up, he stopped short of saying if gsoc could actually access that info (ie: who looked me up).


Data protection commission said I should make a complaint to them. They said it's an 'obtaining complaint' and that if it turned out that the person got my information unlawfully, ironically enough, the Gardai would have to deal with it as it would possibly go beyond the remit of the data protection commission at that point.


So both pretty much advised me to make a formal complaint and see what happens.

I also rang the freedom of information office that deal with the Garda stuff and they pretty much told me that GSOC is my best bet, that they couldn't actually help me out themselves

Also, for anyone that cares, I apparently can't just make an FOI request to find out what's on pulse about me. If I wanted my pulse info I've to get it via the data protection commission apparently. (Not that I care what's on pulse about me, but just thought it was an interesting side note).

lassykk

This is a very interesting thread. If you do take it further please come back and update us.

Cupp3r

I believe he could of sourced your details from a number of bodies.

How far was your car parked from your work? If he got your Reg plate this would be the easiest, if he doesnt know you as youre from the opposite side of the country you said.

Cupp3r

Cupp3r wrote: »

I believe he could of sourced your details from a number of bodies.

How far was your car parked from your work? If he got your Reg plate this would be the easiest, if he doesnt know you as youre from the opposite side of the country you said.

I'm not sure if I'm reading that correctly or not, but I don't have a specific work place.

To be fair, if you have either my name, my address or my number, you can get the other bits of info with a Google search. You won't get my reg plate though.

Equally, if you Google my reg plate you don't get any of the above info.


Anyway I've submitted a complaint to GSOC. I'll hopefully hear something back.


As an aside, I quite like the Gardai in general. Get on well with them and have lots of time for them. Never give them any hassle, and I never get any off them either. But I just don't like that a garda gave my info away.

I just want to make sure he gets a bollocking and hopefully doesn't do it again. Also it might make others within the service think twice about it, that it may come back on them.

But it's made difficult by the fact that I can't actually point a finger to a particular person. Which is where I hope gsoc can assist.

Cupp3r

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm not sure if I'm reading that correctly or not, but I don't have a specific work place.

To be fair, if you have either my name, my address or my number, you can get the other bits of info with a Google search. You won't get my reg plate though.

Equally, if you Google my reg plate you don't get any of the above info.


Anyway I've submitted a complaint to GSOC. I'll hopefully hear something back.


As an aside, I quite like the Gardai in general. Get on well with them and have lots of time for them. Never give them any hassle, and I never get any off them either. But I just don't like that a garda gave my info away.

I just want to make sure he gets a bollocking and hopefully doesn't do it again. Also it might make others within the service think twice about it, that it may come back on them.

But it's made difficult by the fact that I can't actually point a finger to a particular person. Which is where I hope gsoc can assist.

You read it wrong Im aware you were doing some line of work near his business that he took offence too. If he seen you get into your car hed have your reg plate.

80j2lc5y7u6qs9

Cupp3r wrote: »

You read it wrong Im aware you were doing some line of work near his business that he took offence too. If he seen you get into your car hed have your reg plate.

OP knows that. It is how he got OP's name from reg


PM'd you

chuck eastwood

OP to be honest it's pretty unlikely it was a gaurd with two mates in the force they have made it clear to the lads not to ask them for info like that (anymore) as it's a big risk now. On the other hand my older sister worked in an office ( government job) with access to reg details and all that goes with it. According to her every man and his dog on the civilian side of things are handing out info to friends and relatives via reg plate details.
It would be interesting to see if GSOC have the power to compell this guy to say how he got your details all the same

80j2lc5y7u6qs9

But it's made difficult by the fact that I can't actually point a finger to a particular person. Which is where I hope gsoc can assist.

I don't know how you can complain to GSOC if you do not know which garda you think gave the information. My understanding is GSOC is for complaints against gardai so you would need to know which garda you suspect

GSOC site says

If we admit (or decide to investigate) your complaint, the investigation will be focused on trying to establish independent evidence of any criminal offence or breach of discipline by a garda.

that's my highlight.. Won't you have to complain a specific garda?

chuck eastwood wrote

It would be interesting to see if GSOC have the power to compell this guy to say how he got your details all the same

Have GSOC the power to force non gardai to answer questions,. i thought GSOC was only for complaint about the gardai? Can they compell non gardai to answer questions?

tayto lover

Sterling Wooden Wristwatch wrote: »

I don't know how you can complain to GSOC if you do not know which garda you think gave the information. My understanding is GSOC is for complaints against gardai so you would need to know which garda you suspect

GSOC site saysthat's my highlight.. Won't you have to complain a specific garda?

chuck eastwood wroteHave GSOC the power to force non gardai to answer questions,. i thought GSOC was only for complaint about the gardai? Can they compell non gardai to answer questions?

He’s not even sure if it was a Garda who gave his details in the first place.
There’s a lot of jumping to conclusions in this thread.
I doubt GSOC will even enquire into it at all as there’s nothing concrete in what the OP suspects. Why would they waste time and resources in what could be a wild goose chase?

80j2lc5y7u6qs9

tayto lover wrote: »

He’s not even sure if it was a Garda who gave his details in the first place.
There’s a lot of jumping to conclusions in this thread.
I doubt GSOC will even enquire into it at all as there’s nothing concrete in what the OP suspects. Why would they waste time and resources in what could be a wild goose chase?

That is what i mean. You have to complain about a specific garda. He does not even know if it was a garda let alone which one

Muahahaha

While the guards have the OPs reg and phone number it might not necessarily came from them either. As said by other posters insurance cos would have this information. All that is needed is a mate on the inside and someone could get that information.

Like the OP Id be fuming if this happened to me. Probably the best way to go is to file a complaint with the DPC who should ask the business owner how he got the info. Id ring the owner back before doing so, give him an opportunity to fess up what tricks he had been getting up to. If he refuses let the DPC open a case against him.

Muahahaha

Muahahaha wrote: »

While the guards have the OPs reg and phone number it might not necessarily came from them either. As said by other posters insurance cos would have this information. All that is needed is a mate on the inside and someone could get that information.

Like the OP Id be fuming if this happened to me. Probably the best way to go is to file a complaint with the DPC who should ask the business owner how he got the info. Id ring the owner back before doing so, give him an opportunity to fess up what tricks he had been getting up to. If he refuses let the DPC open a case against him.

The car insurance angle is true, however the reason I'm doubtful of that route being the one that provided my details, is that the car has only been with me less than a year, and as such has only been insured by one company. Which means it'd be a big coincidence that the business owner would happen to know someone working for that specific company.


From talking to the lady in the Freedom of Information Garda office, she also said that she'd be of the opinion that the only way that info could be obtained is via a Garda.

Data Protection Commission said I should make a complaint with them, too, and they can investigate. However, they did say they can only go so far, and if it does turn out that the information was unlawfully obtained, then it would proceed as a criminal investigation which in turn gets handled by the Gardai.



I'd also be tempted to give him another ring to tell him where I'm headed with it, but in fairness, i already did ring him back once about it, and he came up with a nonsense story, and I don't want to be seen to be harassing him by ringing him the whole time, so it looks like I'd be best to just proceed with my complaints and go from there.


This chap is obviously well in with a Garda, which is grand, but I just want to make sure it gets known that handing out info like this is a stupid thing to do and can come back on you. If I knew who the Garda was (assuming it was a Garda) I'd happily just have a word with him myself, and explain the craic, and hope he'd think twice, but as I'm playing 'Guess Who' I can only go down the route of making formal complaints in the hope that either DPC or GSOC can figure out who it was on my behalf.


I'm not involved in any criminal activity, I've never been involved in any minor or major crimes, even as a witness etc. so no one should be looking my details up, certainly not outside of my own home town anyway.

I was also told by the FOI lady that a Garda can't just search your details willy nilly, they have to have a legitimate reason to be looking for your details (she used the term 'probable cause').

So I can imagine that the amount of Gardai outside of my hometown, that looked up my details between the dates of me taking photos, and then being phoned up, will be a total of 1. And that'll be the Garda responsible.

Hotblack Desiato

Don't ring him back, he had his chance already.

Squatman

[Deleted User] wrote: »

The car insurance angle is true, however the reason I'm doubtful of that route being the one that provided my details, is that the car has only been with me less than a year, and as such has only been insured by one company. Which means it'd be a big coincidence that the business owner would happen to know someone working for that specific company.

Do, let him know the potential implications. Might get an answer


From talking to the lady in the Freedom of Information Garda office, she also said that she'd be of the opinion that the only way that info could be obtained is via a Garda.

Data Protection Commission said I should make a complaint with them, too, and they can investigate. However, they did say they can only go so far, and if it does turn out that the information was unlawfully obtained, then it would proceed as a criminal investigation which in turn gets handled by the Gardai.



I'd also be tempted to give him another ring to tell him where I'm headed with it, but in fairness, i already did ring him back once about it, and he came up with a nonsense story, and I don't want to be seen to be harassing him by ringing him the whole time, so it looks like I'd be best to just proceed with my complaints and go from there.


This chap is obviously well in with a Garda, which is grand, but I just want to make sure it gets known that handing out info like this is a stupid thing to do and can come back on you. If I knew who the Garda was (assuming it was a Garda) I'd happily just have a word with him myself, and explain the craic, and hope he'd think twice, but as I'm playing 'Guess Who' I can only go down the route of making formal complaints in the hope that either DPC or GSOC can figure out who it was on my behalf.


I'm not involved in any criminal activity, I've never been involved in any minor or major crimes, even as a witness etc. so no one should be looking my details up, certainly not outside of my own home town anyway.

I was also told by the FOI lady that a Garda can't just search your details willy nilly, they have to have a legitimate reason to be looking for your details (she used the term 'probable cause').

So I can imagine that the amount of Gardai outside of my hometown, that looked up my details between the dates of me taking photos, and then being phoned up, will be a total of 1. And that'll be the Garda responsible.

Do, let him know the potential implications. Might get an answer

mikhail

Deleted User wrote: »

The car insurance angle is true, however the reason I'm doubtful of that route being the one that provided my details, is that the car has only been with me less than a year, and as such has only been insured by one company. Which means it'd be a big coincidence that the business owner would happen to know someone working for that specific company.

I would be surprised if the insurance industry doesn't share that information, or have access to a complete government registration database.

odyssey06

mikhail wrote: »

I would be surprised if the insurance industry doesn't share that information, or have access to a complete government registration database.

A typical employee in a insurance company does not.

Muahahaha

Deleted User wrote: »

The car insurance angle is true, however the reason I'm doubtful of that route being the one that provided my details, is that the car has only been with me less than a year, and as such has only been insured by one company. Which means it'd be a big coincidence that the business owner would happen to know someone working for that specific company.

I think insurance cos do share data and there is some sort of centralised database. Not sure whats on it but I would think it would be possible that the businessman knows someone in any insurance company and they got the info from there. Not saying this is what happened but just illustrating that gardai are not the only ones with your reg plate info. Also if you've ever got online quotes then chances are you entered your reg, phone.no and other contact details. Again I doubt insurance cos are destroying this info even if they dont sell you a policy.

So I can imagine that the amount of Gardai outside of my hometown, that looked up my details between the dates of me taking photos, and then being phoned up, will be a total of 1. And that'll be the Garda responsible.

Thats pretty much it. If the info did come from Pulse then GSOC should be able to check your listing and see if anyone accessed it on the day you were taking photographs. If they did then thats the man and even if he claimed it was a key stroke error that your file came up that would be a remarkably remote coincidence and one GSOC wouldnt buy.

It wouldnt be unheard of for some Gardai to be using Pulse for these purposes. A few years back the Justice Minster said some Gardai were using Pulse like a social network and checking out peoples records to feed info to family and friends. One Garda got disciplined by GSOC for using it to spy on his ex-girlfriend.
https://www.thejournal.ie/snooping-on-pulse-nine-gardai-facing-disciplinary-action-for-misuse-of-the-system-3539090-Aug2017/

I think you should contact GSOC again and insist that they investigate if anyone accessed your Pulse file on the day in question. They've done it before so dont be fobbed off.

odyssey06

Muahahaha wrote: »

I think insurance cos do share data and there is some sort of centralised database.

There is a centralised system for claims, but that isn't going to have a current phone number for the claimant.

A staff member working in the broker department of an insurance company may not even have access to the policy information of people who are directly insured with the same insurance company. And vice versa.

Axa aren't just going to let Aviva have information on their customers because they could use that information to compete against them. Any shared information is very stricty accessed and very limited in nature.

If the OP was quoted in insurance company X, they can keep that data for 2 years.
If the OP had a policy with an insurance company, they can keep that data for 7 years.
Then it's deleted or anonymized.