Guidance needed around the use of home security cameras

Growing privacy concerns from some home owners about the use of residential security cameras has prompted Toronto City Councillors to investigate regulating their use.

Speaking to CityNews, privacy lawyer Molly Reynolds said there needs to be proper guidance around the use of surveillance cameras.

She said that as there are no existing laws that govern this area, if governments are going to look at this issue it’s important they focus on the “objective of allowing residents to have a surveillance camera”. 

“It’s an interesting gap right now because we don’t actually have any laws at any level of government that regulate what individuals can do with surveillance cameras on their properties,” Molly said.

“And because there isn’t a law right now, people don’t know what the guidance is.

“So it is a good thing for city councils to be looking at in terms of how to give the right guidance and raise the right awareness to people who may want to install security camera[s] in terms of how broad can the scope of the footage be and what you can do with that information, and where can you point the cameras.”

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