Dashcams Banned in Several European Countries
Discussion
https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/po...
Portugal has joined Switzerland, Austria, and Luxembourg in enforcing an outright ban on dash cams, intensifying concerns for summer travelers who may unknowingly violate strict European privacy laws. As these countries treat in-vehicle recording as illegal surveillance, tourists face the risk of hefty fines—up to €25,000 in some cases—for merely possessing or using dash cams, even if they remain switched off. With privacy enforcement tightening across borders, travelers are urged to leave dash cams behind or risk serious legal and financial consequences during their European road trips.
Portugal has joined Switzerland, Austria, and Luxembourg in enforcing an outright ban on dash cams, intensifying concerns for summer travelers who may unknowingly violate strict European privacy laws. As these countries treat in-vehicle recording as illegal surveillance, tourists face the risk of hefty fines—up to €25,000 in some cases—for merely possessing or using dash cams, even if they remain switched off. With privacy enforcement tightening across borders, travelers are urged to leave dash cams behind or risk serious legal and financial consequences during their European road trips.
It has been the case in Portugal for some time... I know, I semi live there. The same law applies to CCTV external to your property.
Amuses me that it is also now one of the go to place for new car launches, and you have journos running round in press cars crammed full of GoPro's and the like, when joe public can't use a dashcam.
Amuses me that it is also now one of the go to place for new car launches, and you have journos running round in press cars crammed full of GoPro's and the like, when joe public can't use a dashcam.
loafer123 said:
https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/po...
Portugal has joined Switzerland, Austria, and Luxembourg in enforcing an outright ban on dash cams, intensifying concerns for summer travelers who may unknowingly violate strict European privacy laws. As these countries treat in-vehicle recording as illegal surveillance, tourists face the risk of hefty fines—up to €25,000 in some cases—for merely possessing or using dash cams, even if they remain switched off. With privacy enforcement tightening across borders, travelers are urged to leave dash cams behind or risk serious legal and financial consequences during their European road trips.
I'm conflicted on this.Portugal has joined Switzerland, Austria, and Luxembourg in enforcing an outright ban on dash cams, intensifying concerns for summer travelers who may unknowingly violate strict European privacy laws. As these countries treat in-vehicle recording as illegal surveillance, tourists face the risk of hefty fines—up to €25,000 in some cases—for merely possessing or using dash cams, even if they remain switched off. With privacy enforcement tightening across borders, travelers are urged to leave dash cams behind or risk serious legal and financial consequences during their European road trips.
On the one hand I despise our loss of privacy in the UK. On the other, a dashcam saved my skin last week.
It's tricky.
Zio Di Roma said:
I'm conflicted on this.
On the one hand I despise our loss of privacy in the UK. On the other, a dashcam saved my skin last week.
It's tricky.
I wouldn’t be without one now. Too many twunts about that can’t drive, and more annoyingly lie if they damage your car.On the one hand I despise our loss of privacy in the UK. On the other, a dashcam saved my skin last week.
It's tricky.
Like yourself it was only dashcam footage that changed the story of a guy that bumped my last car.
Zio Di Roma said:
I'm conflicted on this.
On the one hand I despise our loss of privacy in the UK. On the other, a dashcam saved my skin last week.
It's tricky.
What expectation should you realistically expect to have when in public?On the one hand I despise our loss of privacy in the UK. On the other, a dashcam saved my skin last week.
It's tricky.
I can understand rules against static CCTV that incidentally (or purpoefully) captures people on private property, including their footpaths, gardens, etc, but I struggle to conceive of what the issue is with dashcams, whilst I can see multiple upsides - including clarifying or proving fault in accidents, disincentivising vandalism, etc.
Durzel said:
Zio Di Roma said:
I'm conflicted on this.
On the one hand I despise our loss of privacy in the UK. On the other, a dashcam saved my skin last week.
It's tricky.
What expectation should you realistically expect to have when in public?On the one hand I despise our loss of privacy in the UK. On the other, a dashcam saved my skin last week.
It's tricky.
I can understand rules against static CCTV that incidentally (or purpoefully) captures people on private property, including their footpaths, gardens, etc, but I struggle to conceive of what the issue is with dashcams, whilst I can see multiple upsides - including clarifying or proving fault in accidents, disincentivising vandalism, etc.
So relieved was I that I had a dashcam last week that I was planning to fit them to our other cars. If there is a chance that we in the UK will be barred from having them soon I may wait.
Fining anyone for owning a switched off dashcam is quite ambitious; are they going to arrest and fine everyone holding a phone as well, given the functionality is indistinguishable? Are they going to seize phones at airports and ports for random checks? It's not just the US going with illiberal nonsense this year then, it all sounds wildly unenforceable and practically will just be another thing they'll use to wallop someone who has failed an attitude test or attracted attention for something else like speeding, like inspecting the car and finding a spare tyre with a puncture etc.
loafer123 said:
https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/po...
Portugal has joined Switzerland, Austria, and Luxembourg in enforcing an outright ban on dash cams, intensifying concerns for summer travelers who may unknowingly violate strict European privacy laws. As these countries treat in-vehicle recording as illegal surveillance, tourists face the risk of hefty fines—up to €25,000 in some cases—for merely possessing or using dash cams, even if they remain switched off. With privacy enforcement tightening across borders, travelers are urged to leave dash cams behind or risk serious legal and financial consequences during their European road trips.
Bad journalism (or fake news). Dash cams are not banned in Switzerland, and no one is enforcing anything, but their use falls into a bit of a grey area: the data protection department doesn't like them if they're used to record continuously, evidence from a dashcam may or may not be admissible in court (depends on the severity of the incident), but no one has actually been prosecuted or otherwise suffered any consequences from using one.Portugal has joined Switzerland, Austria, and Luxembourg in enforcing an outright ban on dash cams, intensifying concerns for summer travelers who may unknowingly violate strict European privacy laws. As these countries treat in-vehicle recording as illegal surveillance, tourists face the risk of hefty fines—up to €25,000 in some cases—for merely possessing or using dash cams, even if they remain switched off. With privacy enforcement tightening across borders, travelers are urged to leave dash cams behind or risk serious legal and financial consequences during their European road trips.
If they're wrong about the first country in the list, they might well be wrong about the others.
Seems like I’m in the minority but I think this is a pretty good thing. I think there is far too much surveillance in this country and the dashcam warriors hone in on slight indiscretions that would normally be just part of the day to day beauty of driving - everyone makes the odd mistake.
I do appreciate it can be a great use of evidence in a dispute however.
I do appreciate it can be a great use of evidence in a dispute however.
Fatherdougal said:
Seems like I’m in the minority but I think this is a pretty good thing. I think there is far too much surveillance in this country and the dashcam warriors hone in on slight indiscretions that would normally be just part of the day to day beauty of driving - everyone makes the odd mistake.
They do. Unfortunately they tend to drive away after they've made them and disclaim any responsibility if you ever catch up with them. I'd rather have the freedom to have a dashcam and run the risk of my Fatherdougal said:
I do appreciate it can be a great use of evidence in a dispute however.
Indeed, just like the oaf who drove off after smacking my wife's car in a car park. Cam caught it all, claim sorted without a murmur.I'm not a fan of posting up the daily grind and mistakes of driving in this country, life's too short and frankly there just wouldn't be enough time in the day but I'm happy with them, peace of mind and all that.
Anyway, I'm still curious exactly how illegal these are in Austria and Switzerland, we're on our way to Italia in a few weeks and whilst it's no hardship to disconnect it and hide it I'm not sure that's even necessary.
Ham_and_Jam said:
Zio Di Roma said:
I'm conflicted on this.
On the one hand I despise our loss of privacy in the UK. On the other, a dashcam saved my skin last week.
It's tricky.
I wouldn’t be without one now. Too many twunts about that can’t drive, and more annoyingly lie if they damage your car.On the one hand I despise our loss of privacy in the UK. On the other, a dashcam saved my skin last week.
It's tricky.
Like yourself it was only dashcam footage that changed the story of a guy that bumped my last car.
It took 3 years to get to court and whilst I won, was a day that I'd rather not had gone through. A dash cam would've sorted it straight out.
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