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ICO warns against sound-recording CCTV

Kable

Published: 28 Jan 2008 14:51 GMT

Seven out of 10 people oppose the idea of CCTV cameras that record their conversations, research by the Information Commissioner's Office has revealed.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has launched a new CCTV code of practice that describes the use of sound recording as "highly intrusive" and warns organisations that its use would only ever be justified in highly exception circumstances.

According to the research, more than half the population is not aware that the use of CCTV cameras is covered by the Data Protection Act.

Jonathan Bamford, assistant commissioner at the ICO, said: "CCTV enjoys a lot of public support and can have benefits such as helping with the detection of crime. However, it can also be extremely intrusive, monitoring ordinary individuals as they go about their day-to-day business.

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"It is essential that organisations and businesses use CCTV responsibly in order to maintain public trust and confidence in the use of CCTV and to prevent its use becoming increasingly viewed as part of the surveillance society."

The code provides advice on the retention and use of CCTV images and outlines some of the circumstances when it would be appropriate to disclose images captured by CCTV; for example, to law-enforcement bodies for the investigation of a crime.

As a whole, it outlines the key issues organisations and businesses must consider when routinely capturing images of individuals on their CCTV equipment. It also sets out what they need to do to ensure individuals can exercise their rights.