Surveillance saturated society?

Image - Person holding an oversized key high in the air, next to an oversized padlock.

They seem to be everywhere we go and their number seem to rise without any discussion or awareness. We have been told they are there for our security and for society’s security, and to make it easier for law enforcement to do their job. They are found on the streets, in shops, restaurants and even in our kid’s rooms. But what happens when video surveillance stops being about our security and starts invading our privacy without us knowing or being able to do anything about it?

Recently, the Icelandic Data Protection Authority ruled that a company had not complied with data protection laws and regulation regarding video surveillance at their establishment. Staff members, who were mostly under-aged, were not informed by their employer about the video surveillance system setup in their staff room and had been using the room to change into their work clothes. The company was fined 5.000.000 ISK (approx. 34,000 EUR/40,000 USD), based on the employer’s failure to ensure their surveillance system was compliant with data protection laws, and thereby not ensuring a secure working environment and the rights of their employees.

Recently a football tournament was held in Reykjavík and on the last day some of the participants discovered a video camera in one of the rooms that they had been sleeping in – the participants had not been notified of its presence. Indeed it transpired that video surveillance had been ongoing throughout the tournament in the sports center the children had been staying in.

Even though video surveillance can in some instances make our surroundings safer, it can also pose a threat to our privacy and the privacy of those around us. We might install a surveillance system to protect our family, our establishment or members of society, but by doing so it is also our responsibility to ensure that we are protecting individual’s rights as best as we can by ensuring compliance with data protection laws.

We at Future404 care deeply about privacy. If your establishment needs to use video surveillance we suggest that you ensure that you are familiar with data protection laws and that your use of surveillance is fully compliant within the scope of these regulations. If you would like to discuss how we can assist you with this, please contact us here.