What if You’ve Been Recorded on CCTV Cameras?

Security cameras

Security cameras and video surveillance systems are everywhere. And, the prime concern is that you can’t escape it. Whether you have just stepped out of your home or are currently standing in front of a commercial store, the fact is that security cameras have an eye on you. Wherever you go, eat, roam — you are being monitored by public, private, and commercial security cameras.

So, does it violate your privacy? Well, to keep track of what’s happening around the city and to keep criminal offences under control, CCTV cameras are unskippable. Security cameras have reduced the challenges of collecting evidence and detecting the culprit. However, you might not like the idea of being captured all the time. 

In addition, you might not be aware of the CCTV installation Dubai rules and regulations. Whether you have the authority to check what footage those particular cameras have recorded might sound stressful for you. 

Let’s find out what happens to your CCTV footage and additional information on this context.

How Long do they Keep CCTV Images?

Generally, it depends on the business, public service providers, and other organisations. Moreover, the CCTV repair Dubai technician has confirmed that it also relies on the type of storage of the CCTV camera. In case the security camera comes with a recorder hard drive or SD card, and then new images just overwrite older information.

Typically, it can go a week to two weeks in a row if you consider the lifespan of your footage caught by the CCTV camera. On the other hand, there’s another thing that might catch your attention. If a security camera is dependent on SD cards, then it’s not always recording. They are evoked with motion detection or anything that should awake the system.

However, if it comes to CCTV installation Dubai with cloud services, then there are chances that your footage can stay longer. And, the authority has the right to wipe out older CCTV footage once it realises that it has nothing to do with them. If you’re talking about a business, there’s no universal rule about how long it can store CCTV information. When it comes to security measures, businesses can prefer storing CCTV images for one to three months.

Depending on whether the business selects CCTV cameras that record all the time or record only when motion is detected, the storage might vary. In addition, businesses might prefer distinct schedules for recording footage. 

What about Residential Security Camera Images?

Residential video surveillance is nothing new. Homeowners prefer installing CCTV cameras outside their home and garden to keep an eye on trespassers and anyone suspicious. However, if you consider a typical security system, then residential properties have sufficient storage to save CCTV footage for a week or more than that. Actually, there’s no definite privacy law for residential and commercial security systems. They can hold CCTV footage as long as they feel comfortable with it. 

What Rights do You have after knowing that you’re Being Recorded?

We are under the microscope or CCTV cameras that have been monitoring us. Generally, public or private organisations don’t use your CCTV footage for any illegal clause. The data privacy law makes sure that the image does not get into the wrong hands. Additionally, any organisation keeping CCTV cameras should inform people about CCTV usage. There should be clear signboards that the area is under CCTV surveillance or so.

In addition, the concerned body should explain why it’s doing so. And, the authority should check that only eligible personnel should access them. If the CCTV footage is no longer valid, then the organisation should erase it. These are some general CCTV rules and regulations for authorities that use CCTV cameras.

If you think that you have been captured on any of the security cameras surrounding you, then you have the full right to go and ask for your CCTV footage. You need to knock the organisation or the authority to whom it concerns. And, they don’t have the right to turn you down. They might pixelate the faces of individuals around you but should hand over your CCTV footage.

However, the task might not be as easy as stated for everyone. A few organisations are clear about data privacy laws in the case of security cameras. In addition, they don’t know how to handle complicated situations or legal implications. As the law suggests, any individual can legally access the CCTV footage in which he or she got captured.

Additionally…..

Capturing images and videos of any individual doesn’t invoke only personal privacy but also data privacy. You can ask for an exact copy of the CCTV footage where you were present. Well, legally, you have more influence to rectify data if you haven’t done anything wrong. You can request the corresponding authority to modify or erase the CCTV footage that consists of your images.

The data controller should alert people before the surveillance starts. There’s no point in filming them after telling them that they were captured. In addition, organisations have to deal with CCTV hacking and additional cyber thefts. Data breaches can happen anywhere, and they should be handling such sensitive images carefully. 

Unfortunately, no computer is 100% safe in this age of the internet. So, the security cameras should be in safe hands. And, the computers related to surveillance should be controlled by knowledgeable persons. Network threats are real, and cybersecurity practices should be mandatory for every organisation that uses security cameras.

Summing up…..

If any organisation doesn’t tell you that they are filming you, then you have the right to sue them legally. Moreover, when any Instagram or YouTube influencer starts filming on the street, they have been harassed by the surrounding organisation. Thanks to the CCTV camera they’re using, the accused can be easily detected. The scope of web surveillance is expanding, but it’s also interrupting the privacy of daily lives.