1. Notice about surveillance
A building under surveillance must be marked. People must know they are being recorded before they enter. That is the basic rule of transparency.
2. Who may view footage
Named people have access, not everyone. Every viewing is logged. That means footage does not wander — there are rules about who views it and when.
3. How long footage is kept
The retention period is defined and follows the need. Footage is not kept forever; it is kept as long as needed for the purpose of surveillance. With monitoring, the period is agreed.
4. What the purpose is
Surveillance must have a purpose — protecting property, people, controlling access. Footage is used for that purpose, not something else. The purpose limits the use.
5. Outside the building
Recording public space and others' property has additional rules. A camera should watch its own building, not neighbours' windows and yards.
6. Requests for footage
Recorded people may request access to footage under data-protection rules. The building must know how such a request is handled.
7. Recommendation
Do not treat footage as a technical matter. Settle rules about access, retention and notice before the system starts. It is part of the design, not after it.
RULE OF THUMB: Surveillance without access and retention rules is a risk, not protection. Set the rules before the system goes live.