MR WONG Shih Shen's concerns have been overstated ("Privacy concerns over video of rude passenger"; Forum Online, March 21).
First, the Personal Data Protection Act is a complaints-based regime - the Personal Data Protection Commission need not weigh in until a complaint has been made.
In this case, the passenger has not made a complaint, and one doubts if he would do so, given his recorded behaviour.
Second, the passenger would have other legal concerns to be worried about, namely the Protection from Harassment Act, which criminalises harassment of public service workers.
Third, it is too simple to say that a taxi is a shared private space, thus entitling a passenger to an unqualified expectation of privacy.
A taxi is very much a private space of the taxi driver - entry and occupancy by a passenger is subject to certain limitations.
Likewise, a taxi driver is entitled to operate a recording device for safety and customer service reasons.
While privacy is now an important right, the mechanics of interpreting such rights are far more complicated, as this example shows.
Tan Suan Tiu
First, the Personal Data Protection Act is a complaints-based regime - the Personal Data Protection Commission need not weigh in until a complaint has been made.
In this case, the passenger has not made a complaint, and one doubts if he would do so, given his recorded behaviour.
Second, the passenger would have other legal concerns to be worried about, namely the Protection from Harassment Act, which criminalises harassment of public service workers.
Third, it is too simple to say that a taxi is a shared private space, thus entitling a passenger to an unqualified expectation of privacy.
A taxi is very much a private space of the taxi driver - entry and occupancy by a passenger is subject to certain limitations.
Likewise, a taxi driver is entitled to operate a recording device for safety and customer service reasons.
While privacy is now an important right, the mechanics of interpreting such rights are far more complicated, as this example shows.
Tan Suan Tiu
