The network has existed for over a decade, investigative weekly Eesti Ekspress found, but only became public knowledge a week-and-a-half ago.

Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti) pledged to amend the law if necessary, while Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said any decision should await the Data Protection Inspectorate's (AKI) analysis.

According to Taro, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) urgently requires the license plate recognition system and he does not intend to instruct the PPA to stop using it.

Taro said: "Serious crimes still need to be solved, missing persons found, and thieves and murderers apprehended. I will not issue such an instruction."

Taro also rejects claims the system is illegal.

He stated that the license plate recognition cameras are regulated by a ministerial decree under the Police and Border Guard Act — the fundamental regulation of police data collection, allowing the PPA to collect, store, and use data.

Taro added that in dozens of cases, data gathered by the system has been admitted as evidence in court.

If the system were illegal, Taro noted, defense lawyers would have sought to exclude such evidence, but that has not happened.

Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise said that following a rapid assessment by her office, there is no clear legal basis for using the system. However, she noted she had not yet reviewed the matter fully from a legal perspective.

She emphasized the need for a clear legal basis and said funds for the technology should only be allocated after a law is adopted.

Taro conceded that legislation might need to be amended to continue using the system.

"We are currently working on analyzing the relevance of the legal framework," he said.

Taro plans to discuss the topic next week with the Riigikogu's Security Authorities Surveillance Select Committee, where he had already been invited. He will also meet with Madise and attend a joint session of the Riigikogu's Legal Affairs Committee and Constitutional Committee a week later.

The PPA has prepared a memorandum defending the system's legal validity for these meetings.

"The materials have been compiled by the PPA and, to some extent, in cooperation with the ministry. AK (ie. classified – ed.) materials. There are explanations and arguments [contained]. Additional information," Taro said. He declined to make the memorandum public.

An internal PPA review and an oversight report by the AKI are also being prepared.

AKI head Pille Lehis said an analysis of whether the authorization norm is sufficient for collecting license plate data will be completed soon. A longer analysis of the PPA Polis database will take more time.

If the current law does not allow the PPA to collect license plate data via an automated system, the Ministry of the Interior will amend the law.

"There are those opinions that the matter should be regulated at legislative level. If that is determined, we will draft the law," Taro noted.

"Adapting the legal framework is ongoing. The Riigikogu is constantly working on amending laws. This does not mean that all previous activities have been unlawful."

Prime Minister Michal is also awaiting the analysis and said further steps should wait until it is complete.

"The PPA's camera network dates back decades, aimed at swiftly solving serious crimes or, for example, aiding in the search for missing persons. The goal is understandable and legitimate to the public, so it is necessary to check how data collection and use are regulated," Michal said.

"Following the article published in the media, both the AKI and the PPA have begun their own oversight work.

"Based on their reports, we can decide on the next steps, what has been collected and deleted, and what needs to be changed," Michal noted.

"The right to privacy is important in today's digital world and is becoming increasingly so. From our smart devices and searches to loyalty cards when buying medicine or any databases, the public always has the right to ask on what grounds the private or public sector collects data on free people in a free country and to receive an independent review if necessary. Estonia is a highly free country — just today the news came out that we rank second in the world for press freedoms — and this must be maintained," he added.

"Cameras are used a lot in public spaces, from gas stations to parking lots. Any data collection must comply with laws and data protection rules. Or, more simply, it must be clear — who collects it for what purpose, on what basis, how, and who can use it, how it is regulated, monitored, and how this data is deleted," Michal noted.

Last week, investigative weekly Eesti Ekspress wrote that the PPA has been using a nationwide network of more than 200 license plate recognition cameras for over a decade. More than 20 million images of vehicles are taken every month, saved, and searchable both manually and automatically in a constantly updated database.

Eesti Ekspress found no legislative basis for this camera and database use. The creation and use of the system has never been publicly discussed. Both the prime minister and at least the last two interior ministers were aware of its existence, according to an Ekspress journalist.

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