This is general information, not legal advice. If you have a specific situation, speak with a lawyer or the relevant privacy authority.
At home
In general, you may install cameras on your own property to protect it. Some common-sense points apply:
- Point cameras at your own entrances, driveway and yard rather than at a neighbour's windows or private areas
- Avoid recording where people expect privacy, such as bathrooms or changing areas
- Be careful with indoor cameras if you have guests, nannies or tenants, and tell people where cameras are
- Audio is treated differently from video. Recording private conversations without consent can raise serious legal issues, so many people record video only
For businesses
Businesses collect personal information when they record people, so privacy rules may apply to how video is collected, used, secured and kept.
- Have a clear reason for each camera, such as theft prevention or safety
- Post visible signage where cameras operate
- Limit who can view and export footage, and keep the recorder secured
- Set a retention period and delete footage when it is no longer needed
- Avoid cameras in washrooms or changing rooms, and consider staff areas carefully
Good installation helps
Careful placement and sensible settings reduce privacy concerns. Privacy masking can block out areas such as a neighbour's yard. Our guide on how long to keep footage covers retention, and our security camera installation team can help you place cameras sensibly.
Planning a project in Newmarket or the Greater Toronto Area? Contact Pitbull Security Solutions or call 647-895-1815 (answered 24/7) for a consultation.
License plate recognition and facial recognition
License plate recognition (LPR) logs vehicles rather than faces, but a plate can still identify a person when matched to a visit, so set a retention period and limit who can look up a plate. Facial recognition is more sensitive: Canadian privacy regulators have found that using facial recognition to identify members of the public from ordinary surveillance video, without their knowledge or consent, can breach privacy law. We recommend facial recognition mainly as an access-control credential for staff-only doors, and we review the privacy side of any facial-recognition or LPR project with you before it goes in.
Audio, public institutions and health information
Recording audio can capture private conversations, and intercepting private communications or recording people where they expect privacy can be a criminal offence, so we generally recommend video only unless you have taken advice. Public institutions such as school boards and municipalities are subject to Ontario access and privacy rules (MFIPPA), and health-care providers handle personal health information under PHIPA, so their camera plans, signage and retention need extra care.
For private businesses, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada publishes guidance on video surveillance, and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario publishes guidance for public institutions. Post clear signs, limit who can view and export footage, and set a written retention period. This is general information, not legal advice.