Anger over ‘Big Brother’ law that will force Britons to provide sensitive information when visiting Spain from October
British tourists will now have to provide confidential information every time they visit Spain, under a controversial new ‘Big Brother’ law.
According to local media, the rules that will come into effect from October will require tourists to provide their credit card numbers and contact details to the police.
Under the new legislation, bank account details and personal addresses can also be requested.
Currently, hotels and apartment complexes make a copy of your passport or ID card and hand it over to officers.
The new law has been criticised within the Spanish tourism industry over fears that it could breach privacy guidelines.
Hotels and sunbeds near Levante Beach in Benidorm, Spain
Thousands of Mallorcans took to the streets on July 21 to protest against the island’s ‘overtourism’
Hoteliers have also indicated that it will only create more work for the already busy staff. In Mallorca, meetings have been held between the authorities and the heads of the tourism sector.
Meanwhile, there are fears that tourists will go elsewhere if they refuse to hand over their personal details to the police.
However, the Spanish government defends the proposal, saying it will make the country safer.
The Ministry of the Interior wanted to know who was staying in the country’s hotels and apartment complexes.
This comes after Spain was hit by a wave of anti-tourism protests this summer, with visitors to Barcelona even being sprayed with water pistols by protesters.
The mayor of the Catalan capital has also promised to put an end to short-term rentals for tourists in the city within five years.
Tourists sunbathing on the beach in Benidorm, Spain
A protester holds up a sign that reads ‘stop speculation in housing, SOS residents’
Protesters hold up a sign reading ‘tourism yes, but not like that’ during the march in Palma
Pictured: Los Cristianos beach in Tenerife, Canary Islands
A protester holds a sign reading ‘it’s not tourismophobia, it’s Mallorcan’ during the protest
Protesters are calling for changes to Mallorca’s tourism, claiming the number of foreign visitors is leaving the island struggling to cope.
A Spanish woman with the words ‘tourists go home’ on a piece of paper attached to her shirt takes part in the protest
Mayor Jaume Collboni is convinced that the move will make Barcelona more affordable for young people who have been forced to leave their homes due to rising rents.
Rents in Barcelona have increased by around 70 percent over the past decade, while the cost of buying a home has increased much more slowly, by 39 percent.
And in Mallorca, residents have started a movement to ‘reclaim the beaches’ from tourists, with demonstrations throughout the summer.
Shocking video shows a woman sitting on a path leading to the popular Caló des Moro cove as a local resident shouts at potential tourists: “Go, go, go!”
In another incident, more than 200 activists gathered at Caló des Moro, a favourite spot for social media influencers and tourists alike, to challenge holidaymakers who dared to sunbathe or take a dip in the cool water.
