Generally speaking, it is not a good idea to share CCTV footage on social media. In this post we will assess the legal and ethical factors you should take into consideration before you think about sharing CCTV footage on either your personal or your business social media accounts.
Why Would You Want To Share CCTV Footage on Social Media?
If you are a shopkeeper or business owner, you might capture footage of thieves, vandals, or antisocial behaviour on your CCTV. And you might think about sharing this footage on social media.
Sharing CCTV footage on social media might help to identify the criminals, and it could even act as a strong deterrent against future crime. After all, if people know that you are filming them, and that you are willing to name and shame perpetrators, maybe they will think twice about causing trouble on your premises in the future.
But not so fast. There are numerous reasons why you should think twice before you share CCTV footage on social media.
Is Sharing CCTV Footage Illegal?
There are laws in place surrounding how you capture, store, and use CCTV footage. If you are a shopkeeper or a business owner, you need to consider:
Essentially, these are laws that were introduced to protect privacy. The footage you gather on your CCTV could be classed as personal data, in that it could be used to identify people. As a result, it may be illegal for you to share such data in any way – such as through posting CCTV footage on social media.
Share CCTV footage without consent and you could end up in court on a breach of privacy charge.
The Risk of Defamation
If you share CCTV footage on social media, and ask your followers to help you identify the people in it, then there is no guarantee that the right people will be identified.
If an innocent person gets labelled as a criminal as a result of your actions, then they could make a claim against you on the grounds of defamation. This would inevitably lead to expensive legal fees, and you may eventually have to pay significant damages.
It Could Damage Your Reputation
If you get involved in legal trouble as a result of your actions, as well as incurring considerable costs, you may also damage your reputation. If you share footage of theft or other crimes that occurred at your business, what if you send the wrong message?
You might think that sharing CCTV footage on social media will help you find justice, but it could also backfire, as:
- People may be unwilling to patronise a business that does not appear to value privacy
- People may look at this footage and conclude that it is not safe to spend any time on your premises
- It could alienate your existing customers and lead to publish backlash
How To Manage Your CCTV Footage
If you capture a crime on CCTV, do not be tempted to post it on social media. Instead, send it directly to the police.
The police will then be able to use this footage in their investigations. In some cases, sharing CCTV footage might be viewed as being in the public’s best interest, in which case the police might advise you to share it in any way you can, including on social media.
However, you should only share this footage if you have been specifically advised by the police to do so. Prematurely sharing the footage could compromise the police investigation. It could alert suspects that they have been spotted, which could encourage them to destroy evidence, or even ramp up their criminal activity.
Preventing Theft and Other Crimes on Your Business Premises
We have numerous guides on our website designed to help a variety of business owners reduce the risk of theft on their premises:
- How to stop shoplifters and prevent theft from shops.
- How to protect your pub from theft.
- Preventing dine and dash, and other theft, in restaurants.
Get Dedicated SME Insurance From James Hallam
James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with a dedicated team of experienced insurance professionals who care about protecting your business.
We can help you get the cover you need at a truly competitive price, which will help you recover from any profit losses you experience as a result of theft.