With regard to CCTV Video Redaction, many companies used GDPR as a reason to not supply redacted CCTV footage to members of the public requesting it, as a result of data protection. This misconception comes from the fact that they would have to redact every other person in the footage.
In 2019, the Information Commissioner’s Office received nearly 6,000 complaints that companies had failed to comply with CCTV access requests. When a member of the public asks for a copy of CCTV footage that they are featured in from a business in the UK, that business must supply this within one month, and redacted CCTV should then be supplied.
There are several reasons why someone would request CCTV footage aside from Police cases. These include civil cases like personal injury claims, specific incidents, or evidence in another legal case, but anyone can request the footage and they do not have to give a reason. If a CCTV camera is filming people in a public or private space, the operator must comply with GDPR regulations, this includes retail areas, open public spaces, public transport, hospitality venues, or professional office spaces.
The sheer amount of CCTV currently monitoring spaces in the UK means there are many obstacles faced by both consumers and data professionals when it comes to complying with GDPR and subject access requests, including providing the footage within one month, and in a readable format.
A business may have to supply CCTV footage to a third party in a variety of cases.
If that footage is supplied in its raw state it could leave the business liable to be reported for a data breach. New GDPR legislation comes with the threat of prosecutions and large fines for any business that does not comply.
Video redaction is the blurring of faces or any identifiable elements in CCTV footage. Anything that can identify a person can be pixelated and this can include faces, vehicle number plates, special clothing or house numbers. All to ensure they cannot be recognised.
Protect yourself from breaching any person’s privacy and remove the risk of heavy fines under the GDPR. CCTV Video Redaction will:
- Blur out any identifiable features for video use in court cases
- Pixelate faces, vehicle license plates, house numbers
- Redact sensitive personal data as a key element of data protection
- Make videos suitable for use in data subject access requests
Make sure your footage does not include any personal information that may identify an individual. Do not share raw footage and leave yourself liable for a data breach complaint. Ensure your business is compliant with GDPR legislation.
Where images of parties other than the requesting data subject appear on the footage the onus lies on the Data Controller to redact or darken the images of the other parties as it may pose difficulties to the Data Controller if images of other parties are shown where they can be identified.
CCTV video redaction is used to obscure:
- Faces
- House numbers
- Number plates
- Children
- Addresses
- Any information that will identify a person
Redaction’s Data Protection Protocol for the handling, working with, retention, delivery and destruction of CCTV footage
Supply of footage
CCTV footage (footage) can be supplied to Redaction either on physical media (disc, thumb drive, hard drive) or via secure File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server transfer.
Advance notification of delivery of footage is requested, notification of delivery of footage may only be sent to your dedicated contact and if the delivery method is physical then it can only be addressed to your dedicated contact.
If physical, then once the footage has been copied off the drive, it is completely erased and reformatted.
If delivered digitally, then once the footage has been copied the original file must be removed from the FTP service by the client.
Storage
While the footage is retained on Redaction’s internal servers, its access is limited to your dedicated contact and the operator who will be carrying out the redaction and or specific editing, outlined by the client in a written briefing document.
Delivery
Once the required work has been carried out on the footage to the client’s briefing and satisfaction. The final file is delivered by FTP to the client.
Destruction
Once confirmation is received from the client that the footage has been received and stored. The FTP space is deleted, and finally, the original workspace on our server is also deleted without maintaining a back-up copy or adding the project to the client’s archive.
For further information about CCTV video redaction and compliance, please see view our service page: https://advancedoverwatch.com/services/cctv-video-redaction/
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