Want to know the address of the blonde in the nice car - ask your car dealer

Pretty astonishing story, in fact outrageous if confirmed to be true, it seems a code is issued to dealerships and any Tom dick or delboy working at one can use the code to access info. As an aside, seems even more astonishing that tge Garda mobility app can't access info on either learner permits or Novice drivers from the NVDF, maybe now they can consult dealerships.

Since when have they been able to access the data this way?

ba_barabus wrote: »

Since when have they been able to access the data this way?

God bless the department of transport, they gave access years ago, apparently to make life easier for them regarding registering ownership paperwork

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40037678.html

Charles Babbage wrote: »

Irish Examiner on the ball in recent days.

This is an example of a system that wasn't tested properly.

You'd have to wonder how it's taken years for this to surface, just seems extraordinary a garage code issued to dealerships and by all accounts Zero controls in place, looking forward to the Governments response to this, I shudder to think if with all these gangland killings and general car crime, has or will any be linked to information leaked because of this

Dempo1 wrote: »

You'd have to wonder how it's taken years for this to surface, just seems extraordinary a garage code issued to dealerships and by all accounts Zero controls in place, looking forward to the Governments response to this, I shudder to think if with all these gangland killings and general car crime, has or will any be linked to information leaked because of this

All those high end car thefts happen with assistance of this, want to steal something in demand, then you you can find whatever leafy suburb that Beamer is located.

colm_mcm wrote: »

There’s also the new car situation where you can view the owners details on motortax.ie until they tax it. Just need the last 6 digits of chassis number.

Which are simple to come by as most cars have them on the bottom right of the windscreen.

TrailerBob wrote: »

So... To the whingers on the Garda Traffic thread going on about a blurred photo being a GDPR breach .... This is what a GDPR breach looks like.

Always wondered about the malevolent nature of Gardai traffic twitter account, fair enough traffic news, accidents, diversions etc but is it really appropriate to have an official twitter account gleefully posting about "alledged offences", just always struck me as troubling, disturbing and odd albeit thankfully personal details being devulged not allowed. It was very telling during lock downs, the majority of tweets nothing to do with compliance of restrictions and more to do with various "Alledged" Traffic offences. No doubt I'll be vilified for having such views.

TrailerBob wrote: »

They only have to call offences alleged if they are to appear in court. I think it's good to show that offences are being caught, maybe they could tone down the sarcasm a bit alright.. My point being a picture of a car with the reg blurred out is not a GDPR breach. This motor trade access to owners details is very much a breach.

Yes, fair points all round and in particular the sarcastic approach

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

The hint is in the name. It's the traffic account so it tweets about traffic.

Ags I don't think have an an official account or if they do, it's not very popular

O it's official alright, yes "Traffic Account", not "Breaches of the Road Traffic act Account"

timsey tiger wrote: »

VW polo driving 5kmph below speed limit and stopping at red light, wouldn't get much traction on twitter, it's the norm not news.

That's probably not the best example, it's not about traction or news, my point being it really is not appropriate to be tweeting sarcastic enjoyment of "Alledged offences" not withstanding the core principle of Innocent until proven guilty, put another way, say a case goes to court, the defendant refutes the alledged offence, solicitor then presents a case of bias based on the arresting garda tweeting sarcastically defendants car being towed etc, might be a stretch but I've seen cases thrown out for less as I'm sure everyone has, just a humble opinion mind you.

timsey tiger wrote: »

It is not the guards job to assume innocence, infact quiet the opposite. They shouldn't be bringing cases before the court unless they are confident that the offence was committed. They are not the party responsible for convicting.

I agree but equally not their job to PRE assume guilt, they are in fact partly responsible for convicting, how else does the matter reach court, all I'm suggesting is putting sarcastic tweets up run the risk of a tainted prosecution. I'll give you one example, very recently a very distinct open top Bentley / Rolls with a horrid blue color was stopped for suspected speeding, louth Road policing I believe. Now at a guess, you'd have to assume, very, very rare car, in fact on follow up tweets, some recognised the car. Just an example of my concern, there was also seperatly a very distinctive yellow motorbike which was also very recognisable, again I'm not critising the Gardai, just it's use of the Twitter Platform for none essential "traffic" updates as opposed to what I perceive as a molevant sarcasim. Just an opinion of course

Dempo1 wrote: »

I agree but equally not their job to PRE assume guilt, they are in fact partly responsible for convicting, how else does the matter reach court, all I'm suggesting is putting sarcastic tweets up run the risk of a tainted prosecution. I'll give you one example, very recently a very distinct open top Bentley / Rolls with a horrid blue color was stopped for suspected speeding, louth Road policing I believe. Now at a guess, you'd have to assume, very, very rare car, in fact on follow up tweets, some recognised the car. Just an example of my concern, there was also seperatly a very distinctive yellow motorbike which was also very recognisable, again I'm not critising the Gardai, just it's use of the Twitter Platform for none essential "traffic" updates as opposed to what I perceive as a molevant sarcasim. Just an opinion of course

You say it runs the risk of a tainted prosecution but apart from your conjecture you don't really provide any evidence of it.
Meanwhile they've posted 30'000 tweets using the same format and same writing style for almost 10 years now. It's pretty safe to say using that enormous time span and sample size that if there were any issues of Data Protection or presumption of innocence it would have come out long long ago.

timsey tiger wrote: »

I'd imagine that queries to the database are logged and that it would be a simple matter to check the log to find out if stolen cars were searched for.

Is imagine that this situation is impossible in the first place, but here we are. What a complete joke of a system.

I personally know of two people who were targeted at home due to their work. One was a signed Christmas card from a known criminal, the other was a petrol bomb.