CCTV Data Protection
Closed circuit television (CCTV) surveillance is an increasing feature of our daily lives. There is an ongoing debate over how effective CCTV is in reducing and preventing crime, but one thing is certain, its deployment is commonplace in a variety of areas to which members of the public have free access.
We might be caught on camera while walking down the high street, visiting a shop or bank or travelling through a railway station or airport.
There was no statutory basis for systematic legal control of CCTV surveillance over public areas until 1 March 2000 when the Data Protection Act 1998 came into force. The definitions in this new Act are broader than those of the Data Protection Act 1984 and so more readily cover the processing of images of individuals caught by CCTV cameras than did the previous data protection legislation.
The same legally enforceable information handling standards as have previously applied to those processing personal data on computer now cover CCTV.
For more information please visit:- www.bsia.co.uk