Camera on recording movement on our road: would this bother you?

[Ali85]

A couple of nights ago I noticed something that looked like a small recording device attached to a lamp post at the entrance to our road. It clearly had a sensor as it flashed blue whenever there was movement but it wasn't clear what it was or why it was there.

DH was leaving for work this morning and a man fiddling with it. DH asked him what he was doing and apparently their cat has gone missing so they've put up this camera to see if it goes past. He told DH it has a motion sensor and night vision and it takes a photo every time it captures movement. He was downloading the images to go and look for the cat. The man didn't give any indication that he thought this was unussual and DH didn't say anything because the guy seemed upset about the cat.

There has been someone doing a big local search for a missing cat so I think the're probably genuine but I feel really uncomfortable with them recording the comings and goings on our road. It's a small cul-de-sac that ends in a footpath that goes into a nature reserve so anyone who comes or goes has to go past the camera. It was positioned so it was right across the entrance to the road and pointing directly at the house opposite. It's now been repositioned so it points up the road and would definitely capture any comings or goings from out house (but not into the house).

Would it bother you and WWYD?

Sorry about the spelling, wish there was an edit button!

I'm not sure this would bother me, maybe if it was a permanent fixture maybe, but with the rise in video door cameras - which presumably capture street activity too depending where they are placed, I always think you're never too far from a cctv camera no matter where you are.

If anything, I guess it could come in useful if it happened to capture anything untoward in the time that it's there.

Yes I’m pretty certain it’s fucking illegal too!!!! GDPR!

Nope. I'd think "oooh that might put potential robbers off"

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Yes I’m pretty certain it’s fucking illegal too!!!! GDPR!

But what about doorbell cameras? Or household cctv that show as far as the road and have audio capability?

No it wouldn’t bother me. It’s not like be walking down the road naked.

Gdpr covers cameras on your own property so the owner of the camera in this case would have to demonstrate they were using the images for the purpose stated, and that they were being stored/destroyed appropriately.

But what about doorbell cameras? Or household cctv that show as far as the road and have audio capability? they are only allowed to film their property and boundary, check the recent court case

But what about doorbell cameras? Or household cctv that show as far as the road and have audio capability?

There was a man with one of those who got a £100K fine recently due to the way it was being used:

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/14/amazon-asks-ring-owners-to-respect-privacy-after-court-rules-usage-broke-law

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Yes I’m pretty certain it’s fucking illegal too!!!! GDPR!

It's not illegal to film in public, like someone mentioned doorbell cameras etc. An issue could be attaching (anything) it to the lampost.

Doesn't bother me at all. We are on a cul de sac and three of us have cctv cameras. We also have signs up advising that the cameras are there.

In the last couple of weeks two of the neighbours cars have been broken into. The first thing they do is come round to ask us to review our camera footage for them.

The council can’t even come and out a random camera up without going through certain criteria

I wouldn't like it in our cul de sac.
Try Highways Dept with the L/Authority.
I would be certain that he has no right to film and download images in this manner.

Nope I wouldn’t like it. I don’t like ring doorbells either tbh.

But I can’t really put my finger on why. I think it’s because I’m quite private and hate the idea that people know all about my comings and going’s. Not that I’m ever doing anything exciting!

Does the person live on your street? There's no way to stop neighbours seeing your comings and goings but I would be uncomfortable about some random(s) having a permanent record of everything happening on my street

I'd be surprised if it's OK to do it

@SirensofTitan

Does the person live on your street? There's no way to stop neighbours seeing your comings and goings but I would be uncomfortable about some random(s) having a permanent record of everything happening on my street

I'd be surprised if it's OK to do it

They can see my comings and going’s, they can’t take and upload pics of my children

They can see my comings and going’s, they can’t take and upload pics of my children

They can if they are in public, there's no expectation of privacy in public.

@Journeyofthedragons

They can see my comings and going’s, they can’t take and upload pics of my children

They can if they are in public, there's no expectation of privacy in public.

But surely there's a difference between taking a one off picture/video with other people in it and a camera that has constant surveillance in a public place. If there is a CCTV camera there have to be signs telling you that you're being recorded.

But surely there's a difference between taking a one off picture/video with other people in it and a camera that has constant surveillance in a public place.

Not at all, that's what doorbell cams do. Google webcam your town and you'll see cameras set up viewing public areas and that's without all the local council's CCTV.

How will it help find the cat?

The actual filming isn't breaking GDPR, but the way the information captured by the camera is used and stored might.

@Journeyofthedragons

But surely there's a difference between taking a one off picture/video with other people in it and a camera that has constant surveillance in a public place.

Not at all, that's what doorbell cams do. Google webcam your town and you'll see cameras set up viewing public areas and that's without all the local council's CCTV.

Yes and a high profile case just proved that ring doorbells can’t record your home

@Journeyofthedragons

But surely there's a difference between taking a one off picture/video with other people in it and a camera that has constant surveillance in a public place.

Not at all, that's what doorbell cams do. Google webcam your town and you'll see cameras set up viewing public areas and that's without all the local council's CCTV.

Yes well they might be doing it but that doesn't mean that they should be!

The information commissioner tells people with home CCTV that they need to put up signs telling people that they are being recorded if it goes outside their own home/garden. That advice is also quite clear that you have a whole range of legal obligations if you're recording past your own boundary. If you're setting up a camera that is in a public street then I think it's really clear that all this applies to you.
ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/domestic-cctv-systems-guidance-for-people-using-cctv/

Obviously I'm not going to start taking any kind of legal action against the cat people but I'm pretty sure they're in the wrong and I'm really uncomfortable that people think it's OK to set up cameras to continuously record in random public streets!

Yes and a high profile case just proved that ring doorbells can’t record your home

It was recording private property, but even that is a grey area - go on Google Earth and look at your back garden.

I'm really uncomfortable that people think it's OK to set up cameras to continuously record in random public streets!

Most people quite rightly generally are, but unfortunately there's no holding back the tide now and you should assume you are being constantly filmed - think about all the dashcams fitted in cars that pass you in the street for example. Within 10 years the majority of people will be wearing a small brooch or pin that will be capable of live streaming and recording.