A “gargantuan amount of data” on drivers is being held by police from cameras across the country, according to the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
The party said it submitted a Freedom of Information request which showed 852,507,524 number plate records logged by cameras are held on a database, with some available as far back as 2009.
The records come from the 227 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras located across Scotland which can either be mobile or fixed.
The party’s justice spokeswoman Alison McInnes said: “The figures acquired by Scottish Liberal Democrats have revealed Police Scotland’s ANPR database is holding a gargantuan amount of data on innocent motorists.
“I find it disturbing the national force is now in possession of 850 million snapshots of people’s journeys from the last seven years.
“ANPR cameras can be useful in locating stolen vehicles and identifying uninsured motorists but we’ve not been given any evidence to show just how effective they are at doing that.
“The overwhelming majority of these 850 million snapshots will belong to entirely innocent motorists and it is surely not proportionate or necessary to keep these for years on end.”
Superintendent Jim Leslie, of Police Scotland’s operational support division, said: “ANPR is a very useful tool in tacking criminality by serious and organised groups and terrorists, as well as in dealing with motoring offences, and a number of significant criminal prosecutions have been secured with evidence gained from using this technology.
“Data from ANPR is generally only available to Police Scotland officers for 90 days, and if required after this period a special case has to be made and approval given by an officer holding the rank of Superintendent or above.”
Ms McInnes said the Lib Dems were the only party with a “clear commitment to restore civil liberties eroded by the SNP” and would “take steps to safeguard people from the misuse of their data and CCTV images”.
An SNP spokeswoman said: “The SNP is committed to a safe Scotland and we will continue to support Police Scotland and ensure that they have the resources they need to protect the people of Scotland by delivering an additional £100 million of investment over the next Parliament if re-elected.”
