The legislation on video surveillance cameras is relatively well regulated. If you have video cameras in your business, a private place open to the public, or a public place, you are required to inform people on-site about the use of video surveillance. You are also required to retain the footage for a maximum period of 1 month.
What the law says about video surveillance
All information related to image protection is available on the official website service-public.fr in the Image Protection section. You are allowed to film the public road as part of the protection of public buildings and for the rescue of individuals and fire defense. For stores, you must first obtain the consent of the mayor of the municipality to install such a device.
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If you want to film a private place that does not welcome the public, you do not need special devices to install video surveillance cameras in your business. In the case of a public place, you will need to request authorization from the prefect for a permit valid for 5 years and declare it operational at the prefecture.
Being authorized to install video surveillance cameras is one thing, but you must then inform your visitors about the use of these cameras. The video surveillance signs must be easily understandable and have a camera pictogram to be easily recognized.
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For large establishments with a large public, the security sign must indicate the name of the video surveillance supervisor as well as their phone number.
In case of violation of these rules, anyone can be authorized to contact the CNIL to report a failure of the video surveillance system.
Business video surveillance
Business video surveillance cameras can monitor valuable goods, the entrances and exits of buildings, emergency exits, and traffic routes, but cannot film any of your employees under any circumstances. This is to respect the privacy of your employees within your business. It is clear that cameras cannot film the restrooms or break rooms of the company. The maximum retention period for this footage must be less than 1 month.
To summarize, if you have:
A business open to the public , such as a shop, a hotel, a store, etc., you must make a declaration to the CNIL and request a prefectural authorization if the public road is being filmed.
In the case of a residence, garden, parking lot, or private business that does not film the public road, you are exempt from additional formalities.
As the person responsible for the video surveillance images, it is your duty to inform your clients or the public about the use of cameras within your establishment. The video surveillance sign must be explicit, with a camera pictogram and easily visible to the public.
You can also add the mention on your adhesive or dibond sign “article 10 of law n°95-73 of January 21, 1995, and decree n°96-926 of October 17, 1996.”
Which video surveillance sign to choose?
It is important to choose a sign with a camera pictogram to comply with the legislation. You can also choose a model with integrated legislation if you are required to do so.
Our signs are available in adhesive versions, perfect for sticking on a window or door, or in dibond version, with a thickness of 3 mm, to be fixed either with the adhesive strips located on the back or directly screwed to a wall.
Discover all our video surveillance signs at www.signa-print.com. Our models can be modified upon request, and the texts adapted to your needs.
See all our video surveillance signs
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