To as our neighbours to move their camera?

[PPop]

We own a semi and the neighbours that are attached are very pleasant people, we are slightly angled in that our houses are at a slight angle to our gardens, our gardens are very long - was the houses selling point for us!
I noticed at the end of summer last year that our neighbours have a camera on the back of their house that is quite high and appears to overlook our garden - but as some people have dummy cameras I didn't want to make too much of it.
We went on holiday and our neighbours mentioned the camera and said they would turn the bit on if we liked to keep an eye on our back garden (we don't back onto houses but a hospital) and since being aware that it can see into our garden I feel a bit uncomfortable as summer approaches and I will be out there more with the dogs and baby when it is born...

Would I be unreasonable to ask them to move their camera to a lower height?
Would you leave it to keep the peace?
How would you feel about this camera?

If they asked about turning the bit on that suggests they have a camera where you can set privacy zones.

Yes I have thought that, but it's one of those where you don't know if someone is turning it off... I remember when we first moved in his wife mentioned our dogs and mentioned the breed of one... she hadn't seen the dogs at that point and granted could have seen them out of the window but now I wonder if I am putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5 or not!

The ICO has guidance on this
https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/domestic-cctv-systems/

We have 8 cameras around our property. I screenshotted the view from each one and sent it to each neighbour whose property was visible in the screenshot. I asked them if they would like to have their house blacked out with a rectangle (you know like on 24 Hrs in Police Custody where there is a black rectangle over the toilet in the cell?) They all said no, it was fine and they were quite happy the CCTV was there. But they were all very pleased to have been asked.

I would just ask them casually, what they can actually see from that camera, how much of your garden and ask if its something they can show you, on their phone or laptop or whatever. If you're unhappy with it, say so and ask for it to be turned away or blacked out.

That sounds reasonable, I just feel a bit weird about it being so high on their wall as the placement would show all my garden if this isn't blocked out, we have been considering one but much lower on the wall for security as I don't want to see other peoples gardens only my own!

We went on holiday and our neighbours mentioned the camera and said they would turn the bit on if we liked to keep an eye on our back garden

Which suggests they’re not watching you, and have likely set a zone to exclude your garden.

Can they see your garden from their house? We’re fairly overlooked by other houses so this wouldn’t bother me but if you’re not then I can see why you wouldn’t like it. I’d see it as an added bit of security that you didn’t have to pay for personally.

I wouldn't care personally. A bit of extra security and I guess if they really wanted to watch you then could just look out of the window

I think if they craned their neck with the noses pressed up against the window they could see my garden from their house. Bar that we have tall fences and it feels private bar this camera as backing onto us is a hospital which cannot see past the protected trees between.

I am a country girl so used to privacy so find this a bit odd now I'm in a town.

Yes but as I said there is no way to know for sure that they have this actually set or anything. As I said they are nice people I just feel a bit uncomfortable about it.

Came to say exactly this. Sounds like they have set it up to exclude your garden already.

I wouldn't be concerned about it. Even if it can see part of your garden it's highly unlikely that your neighbours are sitting there watching recordings of your garden activities. Why would they? If they wanted to see what you're up to they could just look out the window. But they won't because they aren't actually interested.
If it really bothers you then ask them to blank out your garden or angle the camera so it doesn't cover your property. Or just never use your garden.

Sounds like they have already blocked your garden out. You can’t make them move their camera. As long as they have your garden blocked since you don’t wish to be recorded they are not doing anything wrong.

Depending on the garden it may not be possible for them to capture their whole garden if the camera was lower either.

Our cameras sit above our lower windows and doors but below the upstairs windows. The corner houses here have them under the guttering pretty much due to having angled gardens.

The only way this would be actionable is if they are not complying with data protection law. If you can't prove they're doing something they shouldn't with the footage, then I'm afraid nothing can be done. You can always ask politely of course, or ask to take a quick look at what they can see - you might find it handy in case of a crime being committed, you never know. Appreciate it is creepy though. Source: my arsehole neighbours have a camera that points in one of our lounge windows. Police have said as long as they comply with DP laws nothing can be done.

If they said they need to 'turn that bit on' to keep an eye on the back garden either they have privacy blockers on or they plan to extend motion detection to your garden.

Nevertheless, just talk to them. Only they know.

I think you missed the point, it makes me uncomfortable, and quite frankly that last sentence is silly. Of course I am going to use my garden. I just asked if I was unreasonable IF I asked my neighbour to move the camera to a lower level of their house as due to the angle they will be able to see my whole garden.

Thank you. It's so annoying not knowing whether or not they can see, I am sure they have better things to do it just feels a bit exposed and with the baby coming I'd rather the guaranteed privacy of them moving the camera down the house so they can see their garden and not mine.
I will ask DH to ask them what they can see as he helps them out a lot to set my mind at ease.

Your feeling uncomfortable isn’t a problem they are necessarily obliged to solve. You can ask them to move it, but as long as they’re abiding by the law they don’t have to move it if they don’t want to (and/or if moving it would prevent them covering the area of their property they want to). At that point your discomfort is something you have to manage yourself.

I asked my neighbour to stop recording as I was concerned about there being videos of the children. She reported me to the police for accusing her of being a paedophile. (I didn't, I just said I was worried about there being recordings of the children.)

The police said there's nothing they can do, and the ICO just send out a leaflet - they aren't interested that it's breaking the law.

Just ask them to blank out your garden - job done. We have 4 cameras and they are as high as possible to get the best view as possible but we blank out everything beyond our garden except on the public road.

You're definitely not being unreasonable to ask. It wouldnt bother me, in fact we are in the same position with next door. Doesn't bother me as there's nothing going on in our garden that they'd be interested in. We've got a camera too, but where it overlooks theirs we have put a black spot on it for their privacy.

The problem with blanking things out is that it's not sophisticated and just creates a black square on the lens. I posted recently that the privacy squares on our Ring meant we missed capturing vandalism of our garden. (See terrible picture).
The motion zones might be what they mean? Only activity in those areas triggers recording?