Law

Hidden Home Camera

Hi everyone, just need some advise on putting up a hidden camera in my home. I'm allowed? Is there a law regarding this?

I would like to put one up which has a view of my back garden/entrance.

The purpose of this is to keep a close eye on our neighbours on both sides as we had to go to court recently with one of our neighbours relative! Its a bit of a long story but the offender got a 12 month conditional discharge but since then the offender and the family which live to the (left) of us are very paly paly with our neighbours to the (right) of us. They have all been acting quite suspicious and feel that they are planning something! Not sure what though hence putting up the hidden camera! Thanks to all for any advise.

Sonak Wed 09/05/07 21:34

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Peter Pedant
Wed 09/05/07
23:33

google Office of information commissioner

and the old data protection registrar.

Find their web site and ring them up

They are quite helpful.

I think it will depend on whether you have any view of property which is not yours, back pathway and so on.

You are probably gonna have to register with the OIC- not a big deal, £35/year

You may have to put up a notice saying there is a camera operatinng (again not a big deal, you see them all over lamposts in the average city)

Buenchico
Thurs 10/05/07
00:11

In general, anyone is free to photograph (using both still and moving images) what (and who) they like, as long as they do so from their own property or from public land. (It's perfectly lawful to take a photograph of someone through their window as long as the photographer is, say, on a public footpath).

The Data Protection Act changed things slightly but there's been a test case which has shown that the law is not as restrictive as even the Information Commissioner thought it was. (i.e. the Information Commissioner has had to modify his guidance on how to comply with the law). The position now is that you can install the camera which you propose, without breaking any laws and without registering under the Data Protection Act, as long as the camera is used for general security purposes and the recorded images are not passed to anyone other than the police or the courts.

Read this, and then click on 'Small user checklist' for confirmation that you don't need to register under the DPA:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/topic_ specific_guides/cctv.aspx

Chris

Annlinda
Thurs 10/05/07
06:14

If there will be a potential court case get a camera that shows date and time on the recording.This will be viewed more favourably by the court. Good Luck. Its horrible living next door to idiots.

beryllium
Thurs 10/05/07
10:14

Hey there,
We have 24hr cctv. Have a read through these sites.

http://www.cctv-data-protection.info/legal1/

http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/cctv/cctv13.h tm

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