Whereas surveillance has become now an even hotter issue, the UK Data Protection Authority has published on 18 March 2020 an updated template of Data protection impact assessment for surveillance cameras.

This template is a useful tool for the organisations to conduct data protection impact assessments when using surveillance camera systems.

You may download the template at the link below:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/873330/SCC_ICO_DPIA_guidance_V3_FINAL.pdf

 

In addition, the European Court of Human Rights has recently issued a new judgement on a personal data matter:

“case Gaughran v. the United Kingdom (application no. 45245/15) concerned a complaint about the indefinite retention of personal data (DNA profile, fingerprints and photograph) of a man who had a spent conviction for driving with excess alcohol in Northern Ireland.

The European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been: a violation of Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Court underlined that it was not the duration of the retention of data that had been decisive, but the absence of certain safeguards. In the applicant’s case his personal data had been retained indefinitely without consideration of the seriousness of his offence, the need for indefinite retention and without any real possibility of review.

Noting that the technology being used had been shown to be more sophisticated than that considered by the domestic courts in this case, particularly regarding storage and analysis of photographs, the Court considered that the retention of the applicant’s data had failed to strike a fair balance between the competing public and private interests.” (http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng-press?i=003-6638275-8815904)