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Privacy Law Resources |
Covert surveillance involves the use of obscured or hidden camera units which are able to film through lens openings as small as a pin hole. Covert equipment can be placed in ceilings, walls, floors, pinboards, electronic equipment and in other discrete locations. Many jurisdictions have recognised that covert video surveillance is substantially different to overt surveillance, and should be subject to different controls.
On the basis of evidence presented to the Privacy Committee's public hearings, and evidence collected during the course of the Inquiry, it appears that the most serious privacy violations currently arising from the use of video surveillance in the workplace are caused by the conduct of covert surveillance.58 It has also emerged as the major issue in complaints to the Privacy Committee relating to the conduct of video surveillance in the workplace.59 While it has not been possible to make an assessment of the extent of covert surveillance in New South Wales, security industry consultants indicated in evidence to the Inquiry that they receive a significant number of requests from employers for covert surveillance equipment, and that this a growing segment of their market. Covert surveillance is estimated to be around 10% of the market for surveillance cameras.60 One security consultant estimated that in his experience, 80% of covert surveillance is intended to reduce theft, 10-15% to detect employees who damage or vandalise equipment, 5% to detect attempts to deliberately sabotage or contaminate products, and the remainder to address everything from safety to traffic monitoring.61