Parliament Gathers Signatures for Inquiry into Leaked RC Data

Lawmakers in Lithuania have initiated efforts to establish a parliamentary investigative commission focused on the significant leak of data from the Real Estate Cadastre (RC). The move comes as signatures were collected to formally launch the inquiry, signaling a serious political response to the breach.

The proposed investigation seeks to address 19 key questions, primarily centered on identifying political accountability for the data leak. It also aims to uncover any signs of negligence by responsible individuals and institutions, particularly concerning potential threats to national security arising from the data's possible transfer or use by foreign states or their intelligence services. Signatories to the resolution include members from various parliamentary factions, indicating broad cross-party concern.

This development follows revelations that the General Prosecutor's Office is investigating the incident, which may have involved the theft of over 600,000 property records. The estimated financial damage stands at a minimum of 111,000 euros, though the Data Protection Inspectorate suggests the number of affected residents is slightly lower, around 0.5 million. The former head of the RC, Adrijus Jusas, indicated that the large-scale data leak was noticed in early April, but reporting was reportedly constrained by an ongoing law enforcement investigation that began April 5. Prosecutors, however, stated they did not restrict information dissemination.