Pole-mounted traffic cameras in Queensland designed to catch people not wearing seatbelts or using their phones illegally have raised more than $400 million since their launch in late 2021.

However, the government is facing renewed calls to prove that staff are not abusing but are using private photos of drivers and passengers.

There have been several studies on the program’s effectiveness and privacy policies, but the results have not yet been published. One civil rights activist says that’s not good enough.

The cameras, often called “crotch cams,” film downward as vehicles pass underneath, taking snapshots of the chest and lap of the driver and front-seat passenger.

The images are then forwarded to an artificial intelligence program that detects whether the driver is wearing a seatbelt or using a mobile phone illegally.

If the program detects a violation, authorities review the images individually to confirm the illegal behavior.

Since November 2021, 355,340 people have been fined because of the cameras.

Cameras can take “intimate” photos

Queensland Council of Civil Liberties vice president Terry O’Gorman has been concerned for some time that the cameras may capture nudity, underwear or private moments.

Mr O’Gorman said there had long been people with access to private images or footage who stored them for their own use.

He feared that government employees might be tempted to store private, explicit or suggestive images in an “electronic drawer.”

Mr O’Gorman said photos of women should only be viewed by female staff.

The ABC is not aware of any allegations or complaints that suggest improper handling of the photos.

Two data protection reports unpublished

The camera program is operated by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and the Queensland Revenue Office, which has the power to collect fines.

TMR is aware of the privacy concerns that have been raised since the cameras were introduced in 2021.

It commissioned a “comprehensive, independent external review of the data protection implications” of the program in 2022 and a second one a year later, to be completed in early 2024.

A TMR spokesman said the initial review resulted in 22 recommendations, which were adopted with amendments.

It was also noted that there are “numerous strict controls in place to protect people’s privacy.”

The second review resulted in eight recommendations.

However, the reviews have yet to be published.

The department said it intends to publish both documents on its website, but they are still being “prepared for publication” in consultation with the Queensland Revenue Office.

“No reason not to publish the reviews”

Mr O’Gorman said the results of both investigations must be published immediately.

“We welcome the fact that the Department has had the privacy implications of this AI technology reviewed twice, but call on it to publish the report.

“There is no reason, either for security reasons or for any other reason, why these two reports should not be published so that the media and the public can say: ‘Yes, the data protection aspects have been adequately addressed.'”

No data protection audit without complaints

TMR said it would “continue to work with the Office of the Information Commissioner” (OIC) to ensure compliance with data protection principles.

The OIC confirmed that it has worked with TMR to assess its privacy policies for the cameras.

However, the Office does not have the authority to initiate investigations – so-called compliance audits – unless they are triggered by a complaint or public concern.

“OIC staff and agents do not endorse an agency’s practices in handling personal information unless the OIC conducts a compliance review,” a spokeswoman said.

“The OIC has not conducted a compliance review of the department’s use of identification cameras under the (Information Privacy) Act.”

Cameras could potentially have prevented 1,200 accidents

Since their installation, the cameras have cost illegal drivers a total of $419.8 million, and authorities say they have also saved lives.

TMR estimates that the number of crimes has fallen by more than 80 percent in the almost three years since its introduction.

A spokesman said independent researchers estimated that the state’s traffic cameras – including red light cameras, speed cameras and mobile seatbelt cameras – prevented 1,191 crashes and saved the community $678 million.

The agency estimates that 20 percent of serious injuries on Queensland’s roads were due to driver distraction, with mobile phone use quadrupling the risk of accidents.

The spokesman said wearing a seatbelt increases the chances of survival in an accident by 200 percent.