An announcement by the Malta Tourism Authority that those wishing to go to the Isle of MTV concert need to register in advance has raised privacy and transparency concerns.

The MTA said a ticketing system will be introduced in order to prevent overcrowding. The tickets will be capped at the maximum capacity that can safely be handled at the Floriana Granaries. 

But the planned system raised “transparency issues”, according to ICT lawyer Antonio Ghio, who pointed out that there are certain questions that need to be answered.

“Who are you registering with, what data are they requesting, and will the data be used for other purposes?” he asked.

He said he could not understand why personal details needed to be given to attend a public concert.

“Even a political mass meeting needs to apply the same rules of health and safety,” Dr Ghio said.

The implications of registering for a mass meeting are very dangerous, let alone registering to attend a public concert, he added.

Insisting that he still does not know who the data controller is or who demanded the information, Dr Ghio deemed the new measure “excessive.” He also argued that the annual event attracts minors and that it is still unclear what will happen with the information or whether they will be needing parental consent to apply.

The MTA, in its statement, said those under 14 will need to be accompanied by an adult. The new measure was done in collaboration with international ticketing specialist Ticketmaster/Universal.

Reassuring fans that the concert will remain free of charge, MTA said concert-goers will instead have the option to pre-register for the event prior to the official ticketing launch.

Fans choosing to pre-register will be able to apply for ticket registration 48 hours before the official launch, and will also enter into a ballot for the opportunity to win a pair of VIP tickets to the event.

If the maximum capacity is reached during the registration period, the website will not accept any additional requests for tickets, the MTA warned.

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