25 Jun What is the government’s view on the use of CCTV at home?
CCTV cameras on the outer walls of houses are becoming an increasingly regular feature as homeowners try to protect themselves from burglary, but what are the regulations and guidance on the use of such cameras in a domestic setting?
What is CCTV?
A CCTV system includes a camera, the recording of images, storage, and related equipment. It not only includes security cameras but also those used in video doorbells to capture footage of activity outside a property.
How is it regulated?
Capturing images of people outside your private property boundary falls under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, both of which are regulated by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). This could mean images from shared spaces, public areas, or your neighbour’s gardens or homes.
If you use CCTV, you have to ensure your system complies; if it doesn’t comply, you can be subject to legal action by anyone affected and regulatory action by the ICO. According to the Daily Mirror nearly half of all British homeowners have home security systems and could unwittingly be breaking the law.
Using CCTV
It is illegal to film people without their knowledge, even if they are on your private property; therefore, you have to put up signage to make people aware you have cameras that may record them.
You may be using CCTV cameras for other reasons, such as carrying out a drain survey to find out why there is a blockage. If you are looking for CCTV drain survey Loughborough, for example, companies such as www.wilkinson-env.co.uk/drainage-services-cctv-surveys-midlands/cctv-drain-surveys/cctv-drain-surveys-loughborough will ensure their cameras comply with the current regulations.
Things to consider
Before using CCTV, consider letting any neighbours know when and why you are doing so; in this way, they will be informed. You should also put a notice up to let other people know you are recording images. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to ensure the system is correctly installed and that any recording imagery is only used for protecting your property.