The Information Officer's Office has updated the Code on the use of Surveillance and CCTV. The Code was last updated in 2008 and the revised Code seeks to address the substantial technological advances since then.
As the Information Officer confirms in his blog, the underlying law has not changed. Any surveillance technology used by employers must be proportionate, justifiable and secure to be compliant. A privacy impact assessment should be carried out before any surveillance technology is used in the workplace. Employees must be informed about the information being collected about them with relevant use of privacy notices and signage. It is also essential that information obtained via surveillance is kept secure. Employers should have a retention and disposal schedule in place so that information is kept only as long as is necessary and is then securely destroyed.
The updated Code includes advice on the use of body worn videos and unmanned aerial vehicles. There is also advice on handling subject access requests. These requests allow employees to request a record of any personal information that their employer holds about them. This includes CCTV footage capturing their image.
Full details of the changes and a link to the updated Code can be found here.
Petra Venton