Are you a business owner who is thinking about putting in a CCTV system to protect your place of business from thieves and to keep an eye on it in real time? If you are getting a CCTV system or already have one, you may have heard of a CCTV policy. We will explain what a CCTV policy is and why it is important for your business to have one.
What is a CCTV Policy?
A CCTV policy is made to explain how and why a CCTV system is used in a business. It also explains why employees and visitors are being recorded on the premises. There will be a lot of information in the policy about what kind of CCTV is being set up and why it is being set up in that area.
Should a business have a CCTV Policy?
The simple answer is yes. To be in line with GDPR (General Data Protection Legislation), you must have a CCTV policy. This is because all surveillance done outside of someone’s private property falls under the GDPR act, which was passed in 2018. These rules are there to make sure that your CCTV system follows all the laws. Here are a few of the rules a business must comply with in order to use a CCTV system:
Employers must register with the ICO (The Information Commissioner’s) as data controllers and explain why they use CCTV at their business premises. The footage that was taken cannot be used for anything else legally.
Everyone who works there should know that they are being recorded. This is easy to do by putting up clear signs all over the building to let anyone who comes in know that they are being watched.
It is against the law to put cameras in private areas of a workplace where people expect to be left alone. For instance, the bathrooms and changing rooms should be completely private.
If someone was caught on one of your business’s CCTV cameras and wants a copy of the footage, you must give it to them within one month.
Businesses can get fined if they don’t follow data protection laws about CCTV. The ICO can fine a data controller up to £500,000 if they don’t follow the rules.
Why is it so important to have a CCTV Policy?
A business with a CCTV system needs a CCTV policy because, without one, they are not following GDPR law, which is the law. Also, any CCTV footage that was taken might not be able to be used in court or as evidence if it turns out that the company didn’t have a CCTV policy in place when the footage was taken.
