Is It Legal To Install A Camera In Your Bedroom To Record What Goes On In Front Of Your House?
My neighbour has recently been seen with a video camera set up in his front bedroom window, pointing towards the pavement and road in front of his house. However, we live on a busy terrace street where there are a lot of passer-by’s, and a lot of young children play out just across the road - which is probably being captured on camera. Is this legal? If not, who do I report it to?
Yes it is legal, I have recorded CCTV on my home, and one piece of footage was used by the Metropolitan Police, to successfully convict someone for attempted burglary.
Has he had his car broken into before? What are his reasons? It is legal but I would question his motives. My first suspicion is he is a perv, videoing the kids playing. Keep an eye on him.
I would get it checked out cus that isn’t normal
You have no reasonable expectation for privacy in the street, so yes.
Keep an eye of the guy though - he could be just some guy who wants to protect his home, or he could need meds.
try speaking to the police it could cause problem especially from parents you need to be careful about stuff like this !!!
No it is not illegal you must put in place a sign THIS PLACE IS BEING MONITORED BY VIDEO SURVEILANCE. That is a legal requirement in Australia. That is why shops have signs in place so if they caught you shoplifting they can use the tape in court. If they fail to advise customers they are being filmed then you can get off as the tape cannot be used in a court of law. It is the same as taping a conversation you must make the person you are taping aware that they are being taped.
Yes, perfectly legal - even if somewhat unusual behaviour.
If it happened in my neighbourhood someone would soon be at his door asking ‘What do you think you’re doing pointing that camera at my children?’
Its probably all quite innocent, maybe someone has been damaging his car or taking things from his garden.
How about paying him a friendly visit, and telling him that some of the neighbours are becoming concerned because they think he might be pointing the camera at their children, and that you wouldn’t like him to get into trouble over it? Innocent or not, that would probably be enough to stop it without causing a confrontation and he’d think you were doing him a favour.
If you’re worried about telling him, send him an anonymous note through the post.
There’s nothing much the police could do, because he hasn’t committed an offence.
Quite legal. I do it as well but only record what takes place on my own property.
People record public areas all the time, nothing illegal about that. Check out http://www.earthcam.com/ they have thousands of cameras from all over the world. There are many other outfits like that, for more links of the sort check out this search http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=cam…
I am not an expert on the law but I believe your neighbor has a perfect right to use photographic equipment both inside and outside his home even if he is capturing images of unidentified people in a public setting. His right, however, ends if his camera is capturing images of people in their own private settings or if he attempts to use his images commercially without the written or implied consent of those who are clearly identifiable in his images.
Consult a lawyer to be sure about any actions you decide to take over this if you feel one is necessary.
[[[ r u randy? ]]]
drug dealers usually do this to see if the police are coming to raid them. I don’t think it illegal though.
it is legal to use cameras for monitoring your own private property, however if you or your family are caught on camera without your consent, then you do have rights to address a formal complaint to your local authorities. they will have to show just cause for the actual camera being pointed towards any public area.
I think that technically anybody can film anything, without prior permission. (That’s how paparazzi make a living).
However, if you have any reason, and I mean any reason at all, to think that the filming might be for any nefarious purpose, then report it immediately. Maybe a visit from the Old Bill will frighten the film maker.
Having said that, I’m going to erect a camera to film the bit of pavement outside my house to stop people stealing my flowers and pots.
Yes, it’s legal! How do you know he is actually running the video, though?
Yes, it’s entirely legal. He can do what he likes in his own property. What is the difference between him videoing stuff and just standing there and looking out of his window? Not a lot really.
We got one attached to the wall outside our front door. Just a tiny one that is attached to the front door. Its so we can see who is at the door when it is dark outside.
We could probably record if there was trouble out there as well
yes it is legal. anybody can do it. in some cases u have to sign upto the data protection act, cost about £100, depends what you’re recording. not a whole lot you can do about it, sorry. mite be worth a visit to citizens advice if it bothers you tho.
Yes it is legal, but only if he can prove that it is for the security and well being of his property and himself. Best thing to do is speak to the Police for advice and if you are still unhappy about then ask them to call round to see him and hopefully this will give you peace of mind.
hes a pedo
I’m not too sure about the legality, but anyone setting up a surveillance area that may encroach on a public right of way need to put up a notice saying that that area is covered by camera surveillance. A contact name and number also need to be posted for people to query the surveillance policy.
Call up your local council and check what their policy is on private parties setting up camera surveillance.
Legal as can be. If he were trying to point it into some ones house then it would be an invasion of privacy but if it takes place out side then he has every right to tape it.
P.S.
I live in a really bad neighborhood and for our neighborhood watch I am going to put a camera in my window to catch the drug dealers on tape!
No reason why not in the UK.
You didn’t say whether you are in the UK or elsewhere
I have been informed by the police that it is legal to a have a camera filming the entrance to your house and your vehicle, we have been having a lot of problems with neighbourhood children damaging cars and I was advise by the police to install a camera in the front bedroom and they checked it to make sure it was only focused on the car, my drive and the entrance to my house.
You need to check your state and local laws. In most cases you can do almost anything you want on your own property or behind closed doors. I would think as long as it is not being used for illegal purposes, like trying to capture the children nude or doing things they really shouldn’t be in public or putting them on the internet, then he can record whatever he wants. A lot of people in high crime areas do this. I assume you are worried about the children since you made it a point to mention them. I would call the police and make sure, they may go and check him out and make sure nothing illegal is going on.
I sure hope it is, wtf would catching a few kids on the road have to do with privacy?
perfectly legal and here is why
it is in his house and he is filming a public place
Consult your state and local authorities, this is different all over the country.
No legal issues here…just a guy doing his part in the war on crime.
sure, people do it all the time.
yes, I suspect its legal, and if you aren’t doing something illegal, why are you worried? it is probably a form of protection. we have cameras in both front and rear windows, and over our garage, because we live near a high crime ares. it has actually dropped crime in our immediate vicinity 50% since they don’t want to be caught on tape doing something illegal.