Woman’s undies caught on mobile phone detection camera sparks privacy review

A woman who lodged a formal complaint after a mobile phone detection camera snapped a picture of her driving in her underwear has caused a formal government privacy review.

A snapshot of a female driver’s underwear inadvertently taken by a mobile phone detection camera has sparked a government review into privacy concerns.

While the state Labor opposition supports the review, it says the government’s reliance on cameras has highlighted privacy issues.

“We have seen this government rely much more heavily on cameras for enforcement rather than police on our roads,” said Labor’s roads spokesman John Graham, who said a review was appropriate.

“Privacy concerns have become much more of an issue as camera use and camera revenue have soared.”

The NSW Government announced it would launch a review into the cameras after Sydney woman Cinzia Lee complained to Service NSW after being snapped using her phone while driving, with images of the incident showing her underwear.

Drivers getting caught on their phones might be revealing a little more than they wanted.

Ms Lee said the upskirting incident shocked her when she saw the image. “Shock and distress was my initial reaction,” Ms Lee told 2GB’s Ben Fordham, “you could see up my skirt, between my legs, you could see my underwear.”

She claimed her response from Service NSW over the incident “basically ignored everything that I said, except to say that someone in the office does look at the photos, so I just felt that just wasn’t an acceptable response”.

She spoke to a prosecutor, who Ms Lee said “went totally red and flushed”.

“He said ‘I’m sorry this has happened’.”

The mobile detection cameras have been a hige cash cow for the NSW Government. Picture: David Swift

Ms Lee raised the matter when her charge went before court and while the magistrate said the sensitive content of the picture was out of his control, he waived the fine.

“This is happening probably more than we understand,” Ms Lee said.

“You feel a bit like David versus Goliath, because you have no control over who has seen those photos … that’s just a really, really awful feeling.”

NSW Roads Minister Natalie Ward sympathised with Ms Lee. “I understand the distress and I have asked Transport for NSW to review protocols for the handling of sensitive images,” Ms Ward said in a statement.

It comes as City of Sydney councillors are set to debate a push for 40km/h speed limits in the entire city, with 30 km/h in dense residential areas.

The notice of motion, to be moved by Councillor Jess Scully, says the push is driven by an incident in 2021 when a three-year-old boy was killed after being hit by a car in Glebe.

Ms Ward wouldn’t rule the move out, although it’s understood the measure isn’t a priority for the government.

“Council requests for speed zone changes are always considered, alongside safety data and an assessment of the road. We will continue to work with communities on safety issues,” she said.

In 2022 there was no recorded road toll deaths among children under five in NSW for the first time since 1936.

Originally published as Woman’s undies caught on mobile phone detection camera sparks privacy review