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Original poster

To not want neighbour to be able to video our house and garden through cat cam

67 replies

TrioofTrumps · 13/06/2023 20:07

I posted this in the litter tray but no replies so posting here for traffic.

Our neighbours young cat has a cat cam collar on. We have two young cats who are a similar age and they have struck up a friendship. Their cat is in our garden around my children every day after school.I was starting to feel uncomfortable about the fact this cat is essentially recording my children in our garden.
It has ramped up now though as with the hot weather we have our doors propped open and it is coming in our house.
Where do I stand legally as despite chasing him out when we see him he is in our house most days recoding us.

OP posts:
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Mercurial123 · 14/10/2024 20:23

HonoraryMummy · 14/10/2024 18:46

I'd throw it in the bin. They know it's a camera, they know they're filming you in your own home without your consent - f*ck them.

Don't you sound delightful, paranoid, and angry to comment on a post over a year old.

Bearpawk · 14/10/2024 18:54

Yeah I'd chase it out the garden and if it persists, just remove it every time it came into the house. The owners will have to come and knock to get it and I'd ask them how they'd feel about the neighbours effectively recording them in their own homes.

kwetu · 14/10/2024 18:49

Did you ever get this sorted?

HonoraryMummy · 14/10/2024 18:46

I'd throw it in the bin. They know it's a camera, they know they're filming you in your own home without your consent - f*ck them.

Gettingbysomehow · 14/06/2023 15:28

They are training the cat to spy on you.

cruisebaba1 · 14/06/2023 15:24

Mercurial123 · 13/06/2023 21:29

Do you really think the cat's owners have any interest in your children and watching them from a crappy video? Stop clutching your pearls and relax.

Lol 😂😂😂

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 14/06/2023 15:21

How do you know it's a camera and not a tracker?

BloodyPrime · 14/06/2023 15:14

Ylvamoon · 14/06/2023 15:02

Wouldn't a cat-cam be covered by the same laws as flying drones?
As in both have the ability to capture images on different properties.

Show quote history

Yep - and the rules don't apply to drones either - that's what the info on the ICO website says "These rules only apply to fixed cameras. They do not cover roaming cameras, such as drones or dashboard cameras (dashcams) as long as the drone or dashcam is used only for your domestic or household purposes."

PercyPhelps · 14/06/2023 15:10

I’d love to have a camera on my cat. We live rurally and he disappears for days - it’d be useful to see what he is up to.

I’ve never seen a camera available for cats though. Even the GPS trackers that you get are massive clunky things. Are you sure it is a camera?

Original poster
TrioofTrumps · 14/06/2023 15:06

We don’t live in an area where having doors open is dangerous and in this weather is the only way to cool a hot house down when we get home. I don’t see how having our doors open makes it our fault a camera carrying cat comes in. We chase it out when we see it.

OP posts:
mycoffeecup · 14/06/2023 15:04

Just don't let the cat in - what's the issue? Shoo it away if you see it in your garden, and have windows rather than doors open. Doors open is dodgy anyway for security.

Ylvamoon · 14/06/2023 15:02

BloodyPrime · 14/06/2023 10:06

Yes, but if you then click through to the links on the ICO website, it says how the rules only apply to fixed cameras, and not roaming cameras.

Show quote history

Wouldn't a cat-cam be covered by the same laws as flying drones?
As in both have the ability to capture images on different properties.

JustAnotherSod · 14/06/2023 14:52

wildfirewonder · 14/06/2023 08:05

Not if you are filming someone else's property. There have been successful court cases about this.

Filming on YOUR OWN property is fine.
Filming on MY property is invasion of my privacy.

Show quote history

As others have said, those cases and that guidance applies only to fixed cameras - so your Ring doorbell for instance shouldn't film your neighbours home - and only where the footage is published online or used for other purposes - not where it's only ever used for domestic purposes.

Given this is a mobile camera, and the cat is being allowed into the home knowing a camera is attached, there is no data protection issues arising - so speaking to the neighbour or stopping the cat entering are the only options available - the ICO or legal action wouldn't help.

DrBlackbird · 14/06/2023 10:08

Goldbar · 13/06/2023 21:01

Put a sticker over the cat cam whenever the cat comes into your house/garden.

Alternatively, before your DH next goes away for a few days, stage a realistic charade of you murdering him and burying him under the patio while said cat is around and then tell the neighbours he's left you.

😂God. Thank you for that. Haven’t laughed so hard for days.

BloodyPrime · 14/06/2023 10:06

cakeorwine · 13/06/2023 23:39

From the Government

Guidance on the use of domestic CCTV - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If your CCTV system captures images of people outside the boundary of your private domestic property – for example, from neighbours’ homes or gardens, shared spaces, or from public areas – then the GDPR and the DPA will apply to you. You will need to ensure your use of CCTV complies with these laws. If you do not comply with your data protection obligations you may be subject to appropriate regulatory action by the ICO, as well as potential legal action by affected individuals

Show quote history

Yes, but if you then click through to the links on the ICO website, it says how the rules only apply to fixed cameras, and not roaming cameras.

KimberleyClark · 14/06/2023 09:59

Mercurial123 · 13/06/2023 21:29

Do you really think the cat's owners have any interest in your children and watching them from a crappy video? Stop clutching your pearls and relax.

More likely they are sadistic/pervy bastards who enjoy watching graphic footage of their cat torturing/murdering local wildlife/having sex with the tabby down the road.

RedRiverSun · 14/06/2023 09:46

They're really clunky. I'd be surprised if it's not just a tracker. If it is a camera I'd just remove it.

WhineWhineWhineWINE · 14/06/2023 08:11

Cat will probably lose it before long as they often do, and they'll get sick of buying replacements.

Fightyouforthatpie · 14/06/2023 08:08

frogssnailsandpuppydogtails · 13/06/2023 21:14

There is no specific laws around cat shitting in gardens though .

It's a fucking nuisance - I thought you said they weren't allowed to be a nuisance by law.

wildfirewonder · 14/06/2023 08:05

JustAnotherSod · 13/06/2023 23:13

You're imagining wrong I'm afraid - where personal data is captured and only used for 'domestic purposes' then data protection legislation doesn't apply.

So long as the neighbours are only using the camera footage for their own personal use then it'll be classed as domestic purposes and they can pretty much please themselves what they do.

Speaking to the neighbours and asking if the camera can be removed or the cat kept away from her house is the OP's best option.

Show quote history

Not if you are filming someone else's property. There have been successful court cases about this.

Filming on YOUR OWN property is fine.
Filming on MY property is invasion of my privacy.

Cheetahmum · 14/06/2023 07:56

Who the fuck puts a camera on a cat? 🤣

jc12689 · 14/06/2023 07:09

I'd make the garden cat proof. It's not difficult, we did it when we used to have chickens. Plus why are you letting come in the house? It will soon get the message if you chase it out. Don't really see an issue with the camera. Stop encouraging it.

SistersNotCisters · 14/06/2023 07:02

I've just looked up cat cams and you can get mini ones that a cat could just about carry even if it's a little awkward. They're cheap Chinese factory produced crap that takes a memory card but they do exist and they're cheap. OP are you SURE it's a camera and not an airtag or similar? If it's a camera then I 100% would be politely telling the neighbours that they can't use it if they can't stop their cat from coming into private gardens and houses. And if that fails get a water gun. Scare the ever living shit out of the poor kitty every time it crosses your boundary or is somewhere it can record you like on a shed looking directly at you. Make your garden hostile territory and it will eventually cotton on and avoid that crazy bitch at No.4.

OneFrenchEgg · 13/06/2023 23:58

Interesting how different in tone the government and ICO guidance is. We delete every Friday, and only watch back if there's something unusual that prompts us to and only downloaded once as we wanted to send to the police.

cakeorwine · 13/06/2023 23:39

JustAnotherSod · 13/06/2023 23:13

You're imagining wrong I'm afraid - where personal data is captured and only used for 'domestic purposes' then data protection legislation doesn't apply.

So long as the neighbours are only using the camera footage for their own personal use then it'll be classed as domestic purposes and they can pretty much please themselves what they do.

Speaking to the neighbours and asking if the camera can be removed or the cat kept away from her house is the OP's best option.

Show quote history

From the Government

Guidance on the use of domestic CCTV - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If your CCTV system captures images of people outside the boundary of your private domestic property – for example, from neighbours’ homes or gardens, shared spaces, or from public areas – then the GDPR and the DPA will apply to you. You will need to ensure your use of CCTV complies with these laws. If you do not comply with your data protection obligations you may be subject to appropriate regulatory action by the ICO, as well as potential legal action by affected individuals

Guidance on the use of domestic CCTV

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-cctv-using-cctv-systems-on-your-property/domestic-cctv-using-cctv-systems-on-your-property