Government's new CCTV code will hit public bodies harder than private organisations

Local authorities will bear the brunt of new government guidelines on the use of CCTV. Surveillance equioment used by private companies escape such close scrutiny.

The government's new code of conduct will concentrate on fears of "state intrusion into private lives", by imposing rules on cameras run by local councils and the police. But the Home Office makes clear that adoption of the code will be a 'matter of self regulation' for the likes of shopping centre and car park owners.

The code may include a requirement to tell local people the locations of all CCTV and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras - a practice highlighted in a consultation paper.

The divide appears to be mean that a new "surveillance commissioner", the creation of which was announced alongside the consultation, will be able to interfere only in council and police practices. The split between public and private will be created despite the document accepting the difference is "blurred" in the cases of some cameras.

Read the rest of this item from UKauthorITy.com  here

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