Dallmeier Electronic, one of the manufacturers of video security systems, introduces the remote-controlled “Privacy Shield” for their Panomera® cameras. With a few mouse clicks, government authorities, police forces as well as private businesses can cover the lenses of the cameras with a kind of “privacy curtain” in order to protect the privacy rights of individuals concerned.
The use-cases could be during peaceful public assemblies, company staff meetings or strikes.One important prerequisite for the acceptance of video surveillance in public and business environments is that the privacy of data subjects must be respected.
In early 2020 for example, several German courts ruled the following: During peaceful gatherings, not only must permanently-installed video systems be switched off, but this must also be “sufficiently reliably evident” to all participants in the public assembly.
Moreover, a growing number of companies must also protect the right to privacy of their employees, not least in response to the requirements of the EU GDPR or other national data protection laws. Until now, deactivating surveillance cameras visibly has caused a substantial logistical effort: The police or security personnel must disguise each camera individually, at great expense with the aid of elevating platforms. Returning the installations to their original condition is equally time-consuming.
Given the several hundred assemblies per year held in larger cities, shift changes or strikes in businesses, this rapidly leads to substantial costs for additional manpower and the requisite equipment such as elevating platforms. Furthermore, the police and security personnel are unable to activate the cameras again at short notice if indications of possible dangers become evident. The Privacy Shield has a highly visible colour and bears the printed image of a crossed-out camera, showing clearly for any person: there is no video observation or video surveillance.
