What does the government say about CCTV use?
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November 23, 2024Security is important for protecting your business or other assets, and CCTV is one of the best security measures available. CCTV provides continuous video footage that can be reviewed at your convenience.
Awareness surrounding CCTV laws is rather nebulous, as it is not in the realm of common knowledge. To help, we have summarised the most important information the government provides regarding CCTV use to help you find the best security measure for your circumstances.
Registering
CCTV is not as simple as installing a camera on your premises and hitting the record button. You will also need to go through a registration process with the Information Commissioner’s Office and pay a data protection fee, although some people can be exempt.
Once you have completed this relatively brief and straightforward registration, you are free to have CCTV installed by a trusted specialist. You can find services for installing CCTV Cheltenham online, such as APM Fire and Security.
Access
Is important to consider how you will use your CCTV and how other people can use it. Just because a camera monitors your property doesn’t mean you alone can access the recordings from it. You are required by law to inform people that they are being recorded. This doesn’t have to be a personal conversation; instead, you can display signs that are clearly readable and visible.
Regardless of your rights regarding your property, anyone can request to see the footage you have recorded of them. This must be provided free of charge, usually within one month.
Something worth noting about these data protection rules is that they are not applicable to cameras installed on your own home. A camera installed on your house to deter or monitor burglars, for example, does not need to have its images shared with other people who request the footage.
Finally, you must ensure your CCTV system is used exclusively for the purpose for which it is intended; for example, a camera set up to monitor criminal activity cannot also be used to monitor staff productivity.
