Is it illegal for my neighbour's camera to record our garden?

premiumz

Hi all,

I wasn't sure where else to put this post, so hopefully it's in the right place?

My neighbour has put up a camera to record their garden. It's only a small garden but they've installed it at the very top of their house under the soffit boards, Because of how high they've gone with it, there's no way it's not recording our garden also.

We feel our privacy is being invaded. I understand people want to protect their property but the feeling isn't good when you know you're also being recorded by their camera and no doubt everything we say in our garden is now being recorded for them to listen to if they so wish.

I don't think there's anything we can do about the audio being recorded? but surely the video should not be of our garden also?

If there's something or nothing we can do, this is why I made this post so I know my options. if any.

Thanks

MikeJXE

All the info you need https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-cctv-using-cctv-systems-on-your-property/domestic-cctv-using-cctv-systems-on-your-property

plumb1_2

There is something you can do. And that is go round a see them and tell them what concerns you.
 Ask them politely if you can see the video feed from the camera.
 The camera might not be overlooking your garden, i for one wouldn’t want to see my neighbours size 103 knickers hanging on the line apart from anything else.
 

_Sam_

This page also explains options well: https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/domestic-cctv-systems/

TripleH

I believe you can setup cameras to ignore areas. One of ours overlooks the steps on the side of the house between us and our neighbour. It is setup to not activate at night if movement in the 'deadzone' ie our neighbour's garden but will record their garden if movement is detected in ours.

There is a high fence between our properties so or won't record much and we okayed this with them, but again if the ask, we are happy to provide.

Keep_pedalling

Recording your neighbour's conversations is illegal but I think most external cameras won’t be be enabled for audio. As already stated you need to talk to them to see if the camera is covering anything other than their own garden, if that is not the case then you need to point out to them that they either have to reposition the camera, use privacy masking, or they are going to have register as a CCTV operator with the ICO.

SergeantBaker

Keep_pedalling said:

Recording your neighbour's conversations is illegal but I think most external cameras won’t be be enabled for audio. As already stated you need to talk to them to see if the camera is covering anything other than their own garden, if that is not the case then you need to point out to them that they either have to reposition the camera, use privacy masking, or they are going to have register as a CCTV operator with the ICO.

Is it illegal to record audio? Last time I looked the wording was highly intrusive but still legal. 

twopenny

Cameras can be masked.
Many come with a simple easy to fit one.

shiraz99

premiumz said:

Hi all,

I wasn't sure where else to put this post, so hopefully it's in the right place?

My neighbour has put up a camera to record their garden. It's only a small garden but they've installed it at the very top of their house under the soffit boards, Because of how high they've gone with it, there's no way it's not recording our garden also.

We feel our privacy is being invaded. I understand people want to protect their property but the feeling isn't good when you know you're also being recorded by their camera and no doubt everything we say in our garden is now being recorded for them to listen to if they so wish.

I don't think there's anything we can do about the audio being recorded? but surely the video should not be of our garden also?

If there's something or nothing we can do, this is why I made this post so I know my options. if any.

Thanks

How do you know it's actually recording anything in your garden. With most security cameras you can set up active zones in which they could exclude your garden.

Do you know what sort of camera is it, eg, a standard CCTV or a wireless security camera. If the latter they generally are set to only record when motion activated and even then it has to be within a certain distance. I doubt your garden would actually set it off.

phatbear

we have a camera on the front of our house which our neighbour asked about and we moved it slightly to ensure it didnt record any of her movements.

2 weeks later a police man turns up and asks if he can access our camera as her abusive ex had turned up and had kicked off, of course this wasnt caught on camera due to the recent movement.

My attitude is not only do cameras protect the owners property it also protects others too.