City Hall Illegally Holds Citizens' Personal Data Through Cameras: FIP

On July 3, a video surfaced online showing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan using public transport. The video was recorded by security cameras installed in buses and was also uploaded to the Prime Minister's Office Deputy Chief Taron Chakhoyan's Facebook page.

The Fact-Checking Platform reported that the leak of the video was illegal since such videos are not subject to publication and are intended for monitoring safety and drivers' discipline within the bus interior.

Based on the publication from the Fact-Checking Center, the Personal Data Protection Agency initiated administrative proceedings to verify whether the surveillance implemented in Yerevan's public transport complies with the requirements of the Law on Personal Data Protection.

As a result of the proceedings, it was found that the Agency had requested the Yerevan City Hall to halt the video recording of route buses back in 2021 until necessary legal grounds and regulations were established. However, the City Hall has continued the recordings to this day.

Within this procedure, administrative hearings were held on July 23, attended by representatives from Yerevan City Hall and Yerevan Bus LLC, who provided clarifications.

The Agency concluded that the surveillance being conducted by Yerevan City Hall is illegal. There is no legal basis for publishing the subject videos, but a recording of the public transport in Yerevan was indeed published, indicating that the City Hall's processing of personal data raises concerns regarding legality and safety regulations.

As a result, the Agency decided to prohibit Yerevan City Hall from continuing the surveillance until it complies with the Law on Personal Data Protection.

Thus, we can record that despite the warnings from the Personal Data Protection Agency, Yerevan City Hall has continued to illegally process citizens' personal data through cameras installed in buses and has allowed the leakage of that data. Since there are no legal grounds for the video's publication, its distribution is illegal. Consequently, several media outlets and high-ranking officials, including the Deputy Chief of the Prime Minister's Office Taron Chakhoyan, have violated the Law on Personal Data Protection by releasing that footage.