Privacy commission updates guidelines on CCTV use

MANILA, Philippines — The National Privacy Commission (NPC) has updated guidelines on the use by business establishments of closed-circuit television (CCTV) monitoring and recording systems, requiring adequate notices to the public of the presence of such systems.

Privacy commissioner John Henry Naga said the updated policy framework for the use of CCTV systems by personal information controllers (PICs) and personal information processors (PIPs), or people or entities that maintain them, was meant to ensure that these comply with the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

Naga issued the statement as the NPC announced the issuance of NPC Circular No. 02 that outlined the responsibilities and obligations of entities using CCTV systems.

The NPC said the circular applies to CCTV used by PICs and PIPs that process personal data. Excluded from the scope of the circular are such systems used for purely personal, family or household affairs and lawful surveillance.

“As technology advances, so too must our policies. This circular ensures that the use of CCTV systems is both responsible and respectful of data subject rights… and implements appropriate safeguards to protect personal data,” Naga said.

One of the key provisions of the circular is the requirement for PICs to prominently display CCTV notices in surveillance areas.

The circular decreed that persons whose personal data are recorded by CCTV systems have a right to reasonable access to footage in which they appear, subject to relevant issuances of the NPC and other existing laws and regulations.