Disclosure of data

Disclosure of data from the Transport Register

Traficom maintains electronic Transport Register, which contains information on means of transport, including vehicles, aircraft, vessels and watercraft, railway rolling stock and related equipment, operator's licences operations subject to notification and transport-related personal licences. In principle, the Transport Register is public and the information in the register can be disclosed for the needs of authorities, companies, and private individuals. However, you may place restrictions (External link) on the disclosure of your personal data.

Disclosure of public information via an open interface

An open interface refers to an interface whose all features are public and which can be used without any restricting terms and conditions. In an open interface, everyone with access to the public data network and the opportunity to utilise an open interface can obtain the information contained in it free of charge.

Traficom discloses public information via an open interface in a way that prevents the information from being linked to natural persons or legal persons. The only exception is information on operator's licences as Traficom can disclose information on a valid operator's licence code, the name of the licence holder, and the contact information for licence-related operations.

Companies can produce search services, for example, on top of an open interface, making it possible to search for service providers in a certain area.

Disclosure of public information as an individual release

An individual release refers to individual items of information disclosed based on a specific identifier.

This information is released through SMS services provided by companies, for example.

Everyone has the right to obtain the following information as an individual release:

based on a business identification code, information on the name and contact information of an operator’s licence holder, their licence code, licence validity and the name of the person in charge or, if the operator is a natural person, based on the first and family name, personal identification code or another unique identifier, information on the operator’s name and work contact information;
based on the registration number or vehicle identification number, information on a means of transport and the name of its owner and holder, user and representative, as well as their address and other contact information, and information on vehicle inspections, taxation, mortgages and insurance policy holders;
based on the first and family name, personal identification code or another unique identifier, information on the right of a person to operate a means of transport or on the validity and scope of a personal licence.

Disclosure of public information for transport-related purposes

Traficom releases information from the Transport Register for various purposes related to transport. These include, for example, providing and developing transport services, research, address and information services, direct marketing, and updating registered data. This means that companies, such as repair shops or inspection stations, can use the information to search for spare parts of cars or send invitations to a vehicle inspection, for example.

If a company wants information about road vehicles or watercraft for the purposes mentioned above, the company should contact companies (External link) that have made an agreement with Traficom.

Information on watercraft for transport-related purposes, such as direct marketing of watercraft, is also available from Traficom’s watercraft data products service (External link) (in Finnish).

In the case of disclosure of information for transport-related purposes concerning shipping, aviation, and rail transport, please contact tietojenluovutus(at)traficom.fi.

Disclosure of data for development and innovation activities

In individual cases, Traficom may disclose anonymised and confidential data for development and innovation activities with the objective of developing and providing the transport system and services, increasing awareness and understanding of it, improving traffic safety, and promoting the achievement of environmental objectives in transport.

Disclosure of information to other authorities and parties responsible for statutory duties

Notwithstanding secrecy provisions, Traficom has the right to disclose information to another authority or a party responsible for statutory duties to the extent necessary for the performance of their statutory duties.

Other parties responsible for statutory duties include, inspectors, companies that handle the registration of vehicles, and licenced debt collection companies.

For more information, please contact tietojenluovutus(at)traficom.fi.

Disclosure of information from other registers

Information from other registers maintained by Traficom is disclosed for official duties and on a case-by-case basis for other purposes. Please contact tietojenluovutus (at) traficom.fi.

Disclosure of data for research purposes

Data from Traficom registers can be obtained for scientific research purposes.

Traficom will make an administrative decision, or issue a data permit, before disclosing any data to a researcher.

Requesting data

Disclosure of data for research purposes must always be requested by submitting the Tiedonluovutuspyyntö - tieteellinen tutkimus (External link) form (Data disclosure request – scientific research). The disclosure of data request form contains e.g. basic information on the applicant, the requested information and their purpose of use.

A research plan must always be attached to the request. The research plan must contain:

the purpose of use of the data
the person responsible for and the team in charge of the research
research schedule, which data are required for the research (itemisation of the data to be disclosed)
are the data going to be combined with material from other registries
how the data are going to be protected during the project
what will happen to the data after the research
how the research results are going to be published and utilised.

If the data request concerns personal data, the research plan must specify whether the rights of the data subject, specified in Articles 15, 16, 18 and 21 of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), must be deviated from. Traficom must also be provided with records of processing activities in accordance with Article 30 of the GDPR or other reports stating the data controller; implementers of the research, i.e. persons with the right to process the register data during the research; the purpose of use of the data; the legal basis for the processing; the principles of register protection; whether data is transferred outside the EU or EEA; and the storage and destruction of the data.

If the research processes personal data specified in Article 9(1) and Article 10 of the GDPR (previously sensitive data, e.g. data concerning health), a data protection impact assessment in accordance with Article 35 of the GDPR must also be drafted. The data protection impact assessment must be submitted in writing to the Data Protection Ombudsman prior to starting processing, and to Traficom upon request.

If the research is a questionnaire survey, the researcher must also provide Traficom with the questionnaire and the cover note sent to the research subjects, in addition to the data request.

The cover note must state

the person providing further information on the research
the organisation serving as the research register controller
who the cooperation partners of the research are and what their roles are
name of the researcher
whether the research is a cross-sectional study or a follow-up study and
whether information on the personal data level is disclosed to anyone
source of addresses
the voluntary nature of responding to the survey
what will happen to the data after the research
the retention time and manner of destruction of the data.

Enquiries: tietojenluovutus (at) traficom.fi