‘Camera Watch’ has already won the support of the industry regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office and members are likely to include installers, manufacturers, suppliers, end-users, legal bodies and local authorities.
Gordon Ferrie is the former worldwide Head of Security at RBS, the Director of ComSec and the founding Chairman of Camera Watch. He isn’t surprised that confusion has continued to trouble the industry:
“Research shows that up to 90% of CCTV installations fail to comply with the Information Commissioner’s UK CCTV Code of Practice and many installations are operated illegally”, he said. “That has profound implications for the reputation of the CCTV and camera surveillance industry and all concerned with it. It’s clear there is a need for an organisation dedicated to promoting the legal and effective use of CCTV.”
He continued: “It’s a complex area not just covering appropriate siting and signage issues, but also various pieces of legislation. In particular, the Data Protection Act covers images of people and requires they are held securely if the data is to be used as legal and admissible evidence. Storing images of people is also impacted by the EU Human Rights Act. As things stand today, clever legal counsel could drive a horse and cart through most CCTV evidence and that is not in anybody’s best interests.”
In response to this, Camera Watch have said they will consult widely with the industry whilst aiming to represent the best interests of their members. Working with the Information Commissioner’s Office, they hope to facilitate the implementation of the new Code of Practice for CCTV.
The Camera Watch team is made up of volunteers with a great deal of experience in the security and compliance sectors. One of these members, Kenneth MacDonald (the Assistant Information Commissioner for Scotland) spoke at the Camera Watch launch in Edinburgh on the 30th May.
In September last year, his organisation branded the UK a surveillance society, saying it is ‘pointless to talk about surveillance society in the future tense’. The ICO’s Code of Practice is currently under review with the Data Protection Act firmly in mind.
Funding
Camera Watch is currently funded by two security companies, Norbain and Bell Security.
“When we heard about the work CameraWatch was doing we were keen to offer our support and help invest in improving standards in the industry,” says Alun John, managing director of Norbain. “This is a positive new initiative and one that could really help take the confusion out of the current legislation.”
However, the organisation has not ruled out the prospect of asking members for a subscription fee as time moves on. According to Penny Haywood, who deals with the organisation’s PR, the eventual decision on funding will be taken after ongoing consultation with the industry. There are three discussion forums coming up, with the next one tentatively scheduled for the autumn.
The launch of Camera Watch has not been without controversy. Chairman Gordon Ferrie’s claim that 90% of the UK’s CCTV is illegal may have made headlines (see our weblink on the right), but it is also a fact disputed by the ICO.
Camera Watch have stood by their assertion. A press release on their website says that one of Camera Watch’s Directors, Paul Mackie, spent four years observing over 3000 cameras with his company Datpro.
He said “In the last year, during the run-up to the launch of Camera Watch on the 30th May, several Camera Watch Directors have looked at hundreds of systems and our findings further support these figures”.
The BSIA, who released their own CCTV handbook last month, has been informed of the launch of Camera Watch. Technical Director at the association Alex Carmichael told info4security that they “welcome any help from other organisations in the promotion of the importance of compliance with the Data Protection Act”.