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Surveillance and Data Protection 

Surveillance and Data Protection 

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Why is it important to stay your data protected? What are you able to do to guard your privacy rights? What are the solutions to those issues? Are things improving or getting worse? 

 

There is no one country in the world that’s constantly protecting the privacy of its citizens because most are active in surveilling their citizens.

 

In the European Union , the GDPR or also referred to as the overall Data Protection Regulation helps to enhance the privacy laws of the entire . However, it doesn’t prevent some countries from getting into agreements that encroach on the residents’ privacy through data sharing with other countries. It doesn’t stop some countries from increasing the utilization of their biometric surveillance. 

 

Outside of the european Union, there are many countries that are creating what can only be described as surveillance states, with privacy rights seemingly taking a significant back seat. Perhaps because it is not any surprise that China and Russia are the most important culprits. 

 

For the rationale of localization and globalization of the terrorist threats and therefore the cross-border criminality, it’s led to the expansion of surveillance activities and greater cross-border police and judicial cooperation in placing a greater priority on these activities within the political agenda of the ecu Union. during this situation, the expansion of technological systems for surveillance and monitoring, and therefore the large-scale exchange of citizens’ personal data play an important role within the fight against crime. 

What you ought to realize about video-surveillance ?

 

The video-surveillance footage often contains images of individuals . As this information is often wont to identify the people either directly or indirectly and it qualifies as personal data. 

 

Almost all of the European Union institutions and bodies have video surveillance operational on their premises. From small executive agencies with only a couple of cameras (CCTV), to European Union institutions and bodies with seats during a number of Member States operating several many cameras.

 

All of the Union institutions and bodies using CCTV have a publically available policy outlining what they are doing and why. A well-designed and selectively used video-surveillance system are powerful tools for tackling data security issues. All of the badly designed systems will merely generate a false sense of security while also intruding on the individual privacy and getting into others fundamental rights. 

 

Now, what are the most important data protection issues?

 

 Data quality

Cameras can and will be used intelligently and will only target specifically identified security problems thus minimising the gathering of irrelevant footage. This not only reduces intrusions into privacy but also helps to make sure a more targeted, and ultimately, more efficient, use of video-surveillance. 

 

Right of data 

There are notices which will be found in European Union institution buildings informing the staff and visitors about the safety cameras in situ . These signs are mandatory because individuals are suffering from video-surveillance and must be told upon its installation about the monitoring and its main purpose and therefore the length of your time that the footage is to be kept and by whom. 

 

Retention period 

Although the installation of cameras could be justified for security purposes only but the timely and automatic deletion of footage is vital. 

The Electronic processing System requires all the European Union institutions to possess clear policies regarding the utilization of video surveillance on their premises including on potential storage. 

 

In addition, it is recommended that data protection impact assessments are administered when the subsequent are: 

 

1.Cameras are added or faraway from systems. 2. Cameras are being moved or changing their position or whole parts of the systems are upgraded, new systems are installed.

  1. Where systems that include biometrics capabilities like automatic face recognition are in use.

 

Several advocates of massive data argue against the privacy principles as impediments to unlocking the advantages of massive data by preventing actors from working with the maximum amount of data as possible. the 2 competing interests of preserving privacy and large data exceptionalism aren’t aligned. It is  imperative that a policy decision clearly choosing the proper privacy over the economic incentive of unregulated access to data must be made by those drafting the privacy law. 

 

Privacy may be a fundamental right and must be independent of monetary considerations. There is no economic interest that can justify or outbalance the individual’s right to privacy. 

 

The PDP Bill contemplates a scheme under which the central government may direct any data fiduciary to supply any anonymised personal data or other non-personal data to enable better targeting of delivery of services or formulation of evidence-based policies in any manner. 

 

First, it is inconceivable why a law on personal data protection deals with non-personal data in the least . Second, the thought of the State having unfettered access to data available with private actors raises serious questions on its surveillance designs. 

The question is, what you’ll do?

 

There are only a few laws that effectively regulate data collection or protect from the unprecedented level of surveillance that are currently experiencing worldwide. 

 

This makes it even more important to support privacy protection laws and standards so as to figure towards change both now and within the future. It also makes it important to stay conscious of a problem that’s relatively invisible, benefiting corporations and governments, and find ways to make interest and awareness among our own networks and friends.

 

And finally, you will also fight back by regaining control over the digital traces you create and limiting who can collect them by changing the ICT practices and switching to privacy-sensitive alternatives.

 

It is important to deepen one’s understanding of the powers at play and educate oneself and one’s contacts and networks about how location and browser tracking works. 

 

https://edps.europa.eu/data-protection/data-protection/reference-library/video-surveillance_en

 

https://dataprivacy.foxrothschild.com/2019/08/articles/general-privacy-data-security-news-developments/insights-on-video-surveillance-and-data-protection/

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1752928X1930068X

 https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/sunday-spotlight/data-protection-or-surveillance-811661.html

 

https://www.ritimo.org/Privacy-Surveillance-and-Data-Tracking-Why-Does-it-Matter-for-Human-Rights

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-protection-impact-assessments-for-surveillance-cameras

 https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/surveillance-states/

 

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