Security cameras: the mistakes we run into most often
When registration is required and how long footage may be kept is covered in our FAQ. This is about what we actually find when we look at an existing system.
The legal groundwork (when registration is required, which signage is mandatory and how long footage may be kept) is set out in the frequently asked questions on our camera page. This article is about what we encounter in practice when installing and taking over camera systems.
The mistakes we see most often
Cameras filming the public road or the neighbours’ garden. By far the most common mistake. A camera on the front of the building is aimed so that it picks up a stretch of pavement or street, or a garden camera looks just over the hedge. Almost always unintentional, simply because the view seemed most useful that way.
No signage, or incomplete signage. There is a camera, but no visible sign, or the sign does not state who is responsible and where to go with questions. A detail that is easily overlooked, but genuinely required.
Keeping footage too long, or not managing it at all. Some systems are set by default to a retention period far longer than permitted, or nobody ever gave it any thought. We also see the reverse: a system that overwrites after a few days, exactly when footage turns out to be needed for an incident only reported later.
Cameras that keep employees permanently in frame. In a shop or office a camera is sometimes positioned so that it films a workstation continuously, without a clear and proportionate reason, and without the necessary information or consultation with staff. That is sensitive, and rightly so.
Access to footage that is not restricted. The app or management platform is open to everyone in the company, or the password is shared without a second thought. Who can view camera footage should be just as limited and deliberate as who can access other sensitive company data.
What people ask for that is not legally possible
“Could you not turn that camera a bit so we catch the neighbours’ driveway too, just in case?” We hear this regularly, usually with the best intentions, out of concern about burglary. The answer is always the same: no, unless the neighbour explicitly agrees to it.
“Can we just keep this footage for years, you never know?” An understandable line of thinking, but not permitted. Retention limits do not exist by accident, and a system that structurally keeps footage too long is a real risk in the event of an inspection or complaint.
“Can we install hidden cameras, so employees do not know they are being filmed?” This comes up occasionally where theft is suspected. Covert monitoring of employees is, bar strict exceptions, not permitted, and in any case has to go through a specific procedure rather than on your own initiative.
“Can we share this footage on social media so someone recognises the culprit?” Here too the answer is usually no, except in consultation with the police and within a defined framework. Publishing footage puts the company itself in the wrong, however understandable the impulse.
How we resolve it
It usually starts with explaining why something is not possible, and immediately offering an alternative that does work. For a camera that looks too far, the fix is often simple: adjust the field of view, or set a privacy zone that blanks out part of the image so the rest stays usable.
For signage and the duty to inform, we provide a correct and fully completed sign as standard at installation, so that never remains a loose end.
We set the retention period during installation, aligned with what is legally permitted and what makes practical sense. That prevents both keeping footage too long and accidentally losing relevant material.
For questions about monitoring employees or sharing footage, we point to the proper procedure and advise against deciding alone. Sometimes that simply means: a little patience, and arranging it the right way rather than the quick, wrong way.
What we pass on in nearly every project: a good camera system is not just a technical installation, it is also a proper framework around it. Get that right from the start and you never have to think about it again.
Wondering whether your current camera system is in order, or considering a new installation? Get in touch for a no-obligation conversation.