Estonian Ministry Considers Restricting Mass Access to Document Registers
Estonia's Ministry of Justice is weighing the possibility of limiting automated mass queries to public document registers to prevent profiling and uncontrolled reuse of personal data, while maintaining public access.
Estonia's Ministry of Justice and Digital Technologies is considering introducing restrictions on mass queries to public document registers. According to the ministry, while information in public registers must remain accessible to the public, mass data collection, indexing, and further processing could enable profiling of individuals, combining data from different sources, and spreading outdated information.
The ministry's circular, as reported by Äripäev, notes that this issue has geopolitical dimensions, referenced by several security agencies in their annual reports. The ministry is exploring ways to curb automated mass requests without hindering people's access to public information, thereby reducing the risks of uncontrolled reuse of personal data.
Britten Torstenberg, the ministry's head of media relations, stated that no concrete plan exists yet. She mentioned a meeting scheduled for the next day with media house leaders to discuss whether and how to limit mass queries to document registers. ERR asked the ministry how serious the problem of such queries currently is and whether restrictions might complicate ordinary users' ability to search registers, but Torstenberg indicated that specific answers are not yet available.
