Domestic CCTV Systems
(this can include cameras fitted to doorbells)
Should you wish to put up CCTV cameras on your property you must take note that the use of CCTV in a private domestic dwelling in England and Wales is regulated by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. This Act aims to balance people’s right to protect their property with others’ right to privacy. The capturing of images outside your own property is subject to the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The Neighbourhood Watch "Ourwatch" website gives full details of what to take into account when deciding to install private CCTV and what should and should not be done once installed:
(reference www.ourwatch.org.uk/cctv on domestic property/)
Further guidance from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) can be found on their website
(Reference:
https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/domestic-cctv-systems-guidance-for-people-using-cctv/).
In 2012 the government created the role of Surveillance Camera Commissioner, whose functions are to encourage compliance with the Home Secretary’s Surveillance Camera Code of Practice. The SC Code applies to cameras operated by relevant public authorities, but the Commissioner also encourages other operators, including private citizens, to adopt the Code voluntarily and has set of 12 guiding principle, which can be found here in the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice: (Reference:
This is not a simple matter of fixing a camera and not taking into account what is being captured. Basically, if your cameras don’t capture images beyond your boundary, the data protection laws won’t apply to you:
Reference: https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/domestic-cctv-systems-guidance-for-people-using-cctv/
