CCTV of swimming pool playing in cafe

They are breaking the law if they do not have clear signs stating that cctv is in operation. I would write to them about that aspect.

Commercial and Business CCTV
Businesses using CCTV must follow full data protection rules from the start—there’s no exemption for commercial premises. Key requirements include:
• Have a lawful basis for recording
• Put up clear signage about CCTV use
• Appoint authorised staff to manage access
• Set retention and deletion policies
• Respond to subject access requests
Workplace CCTV gets extra scrutiny. Employers should:
• Consult employees where appropriate, before installing cameras
• Avoid monitoring private areas (toilets, break rooms)
• Record the reason for each camera
• Consider less intrusive options first

I agree. I wouldn’t like it. Yes people can sit by pools but I think having people in a cafe watching you on screen is creepy.

I agree with a pp about having a chat with the manager to see why it’s been put there. Maybe there was incident or you’ll feel more comfortable with their reasons after a chat.

Of course it’s to do with safety!
Do you honestly think they installed it so that people can perve over the swimmers?

They will have monitored screens elsewhere, and the fact that there is a screen in the cafe means that not only can parents can watch their children, but and miscreants in the pool area may be dissuaded from bad behaviour as they will be spotted.

I think you are massively overestimating how much people want to look at you in a swimming costume.

I would talk to the manager and find out why they have installed it. Then you can decide whether you feel it is a legitimate reason and try to forget it’s there and enjoy your pool time, or if they do not have a good reason, challenge why it’s there and let them know you feel uncomfortable and they may be losing members over it. If you are not comfortable talking to them email instead.

This is more about your own body image than anything else.

What is it particularly about being seen by people that you can’t see rather than being seen by people you can see? Do you think they are judging you in a way that people you can see wouldn’t?

You are focusing a lot on how ‘dark and dingy’ the seating area is, and I am going to put this out there - are you imagining some grubby man having a wank under the table as he watches you in a swimming costume?

From a legal/GDPR perspective this doesn’t seem right. Is it worth a call to the information commissioners office to find out whether or not this is ok?

Our gym has big picture windows overlooking the pool so people of exercises bikes look down on swimmers.

I really don't see the problem.

It makes it a lot easier for men who are watching with bad intentions though. A lone man is unlikely to regularly go and sit by the pool watching as its more likely to be noticed. Whereas sitting watching in a cafe will just look like they're taking a while with their drink rather than being obvious theyre there for voyeurism.
It wouldnt bother me personally, but I can see why it would bother some.

Why do your feelings trump the safety of others?

This camera will have been installed for safety: so that any problem - be it a child struggling in the water, or someone behaving badly in some way - can be spotted and dealt with or even deterred from happening in the first place.
It may have been installed in response to an incident that you don’t know about.

Think a bit beyond yourself, maybe.

Have they displayed notices advising that cctv is in operation in the swimming pool area?

Unfortunately GDPR is a bit wishy washy when it comes to CCTV, as I found out when our gym manager installed it, but definitely worth looking at the details op and seeing if there's anything they're in breach of.

You do have a basic right to privacy, despite all the posters asking what you're afraid will happen 🙄

"don't use the pool then" - great, exactly what our society needs is to put people off exercise because we can't manage basic privacy

I wouldnt like that either. And I am not even not bothered about being in a swimming costume.

I agree with the OP. It sounds unnecessary. So why open people up to being seen when they may feel uncomfortable?

If it can't be justified from a safety point of view, it shouldn't be shown. Also cctv is no substitute for an actual person, so it doesn't even work from a safety pov.

I really don't believe this. The ego here 'I don't want to be watched' really you are in a public area in a swimming costume. People can already see you...

As for pedos...they can put some trunks on and swim themselves. Plus there must be millions of photos of kids in swimming costumes on the Internet

My gym do this so that parents can watch swimming lessons. There’s nowhere to watch poolside. I love it because I can grab a coffee and watch rather than sit in a sweaty fog of chlorine/ kids feet.

I think if you don’t like it the best thing is talk to the managers to see if it can be turned off after swimming lessons are over but then they might not agree and/ or forget, so overall you might be better finding somewhere else.

FWIW the quality of the CCTV in our cafe isn’t great- quite often I have to search for my child- and I have literally never seen adults watching other adults in the 4 years I’ve been going there.

I can sort of see your point, in that I deliberately choose times to use my gym swimming pool when I know there will be very few people there, because I'm somewhat large and don't feel a pretty sight in my costume. It's the only form of exercise I enjoy so my best hope of becoming less large. I wouldn't want to think of people sitting in the cafe possibly laughing at the hippo in the pool, and I doubt that most people in the cafe want to see me anyway.

But I'm a bit puzzled that you go through all the faff of getting into a swimming costume if your only objective in using the pool is to sit there and cool down. Couldn't you achieve the same in the showers?

Thank goodness you didn’t phrase your AIBU alternatives in any kind of loaded way that might give you an opening to have a go at anyone who disagrees with you.

How? I don't understand