THE way Spain collects personal data about foreign tourists has come under scrutiny after officials in Brussels suggested that legislation introduced less than two years ago may go beyond what is allowed under current EU law.
Spain’s traveller registration system came into force in late 2024 to much fanfare, requiring hotels, holiday rentals, travel agencies, online booking platforms and vehicle rental companies to collect extensive personal information from customers.
That includes full name, passport or ID details, date of birth, nationality, telephone number, home address, email address, payment details and information about travelling companions.
The data gathered must then be submitted to a central government database accessible to law enforcement authorities.
READ MORE: Annoying cookie pop-ups to end after EU caves in to Silicon Valley and AI revolution on privacy laws
When introduced, the Spanish government argued that extensive data gathering would enhance security, helping police to combat terrorism and organised crime.
But European Commission officials have formally opened infringement proceedings against Spain, warning that the current stance may breach EU data protection laws.
According to The Objective, Brussels says the collection of information regarding payment details and family relationships is too extensive.
They also argue that police access to the database is too broad and the data retention period of three years too long.
Spain will now have two months to justify its position or amend the system in line with EU law.
If government officials fail to do so, the European Commission could refer Spain to the Court of Justice of the European Union, opening up the possibility of hefty financial penalties.
The decision has been greeted warmly by leading figures in the tourism industry, who are calling on the government to suspend the framework and begin drafting a replacement system.
They argue that the current registration system creates a significant administrative burden, increases costs for businesses and risks damaging Spain’s reputation as a prime tourist destination.
Civil liberty activists have also voiced concerns, suggesting that many of the required data fields have little obvious connection to security matters.
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
