Cameras, privacy alarm goes off for more than 90% of devices

Survey by Federprivacy and Ethos Academy: in Italy compliance with the Gdpr only in 8% of cases, an "offense" that can cost companies 4 million in penalties. Poor training of designers and installers among the causes of the problem 10 Jun 2022 L. O.

The camera is there. But the sign warning of his presence does not. Or rather, there is only in 8% of cases. This is the scenario of the Italian video surveillance systems created by Federprivacy in collaboration with Ethos Academy which reveals that only a minority of installations comply with the Gdpr which imposes regular information signs for citizens who enter a public exercise equipped with video surveillance. An abuse that entails penalties for companies for over 4 million, recalls the report. Index of topics • Cameras, Gdpr not respected • Designers and installers without training Cameras, Gdpr not respected Less than half of the designers and installers realize the real privacy risks and the danger of penalties. Just 3% of Italian companies that have a DPO or a privacy contact are based in the south.

Four years after the entry into force of the European regulation, the Gdpr, reads the report, "Italian cities are increasingly smart, but the eyes of the cameras now scattered everywhere are not too respectful of the privacy of citizens". According to the survey, only 8% of respondents who have entered a public establishment equipped with a video surveillance system say they have found a regular information sign displayed that clearly and transparently warns of the presence of cameras with the indication of the correct regulatory references and complete information that should be provided to the interested party. Indeed, the study showed that in 38% of cases there is no sign that makes the citizen aware of the presence of the cameras, and even if in the remaining 54% of cases the interested party takes note that a sign is exposed, however this is not filled in with the necessary information or completely inadequate due to obsolete or incorrect regulatory references. "Even if the Gdpr has marked a historic turning point for the protection of citizens' privacy – says the president of Federprivacy, Nicola Bernardi – the fact that those who install video surveillance systems still have little sensitivity to the rules on the protection of personal data is a worrying phenomenon, especially if we consider that two years have now passed since the European guarantors published the Guidelines n.3/2019 for provide any clarification that may be necessary, and therefore we should not be surprised if more than 15% of the sanctions are specifically referred to violations committed through cameras and video surveillance systems, weighing a total of over 4 million euros for public and private companies ". Designers and installers without training A slice of responsibility, according to the survey, is attributable to designers and installers, as out of a sample of 1,127 operators interviewed only 46% of these admitted to realizing that they were dealing with issues that involve high risks and exposure to the heavy penalties provided for by the Gdpr. Especially in the geographical areas of southern Italy, it turned out that only 3% of the companies belonging to the professionals interviewed are equipped with a Data Protection Officer or another figure dedicated to privacy issues, and from the same geographical area only 15% of professionals feel the need for further in-depth analysis of the subject. "The results show that there is still a lot to do – comments Andrea Sandrolini, CEO of Ethos Academy -. The GDPR has brought with it a radical change that was supposed to allow security professionals to train and adapt the installed plant park to the norm, but in large part this has not been the case. We therefore need a careful reflection on the need for adequate and punctual training for professionals in the sector, who must roll up their sleeves to develop their skills and secure their company and the client".