Britain is the uncontested world leader in camera surveillance. England in particular, is the most watched society in the world. There are an estimated 4M closed circuit TVs (CCTV) recording the daily lives of shoppers, drivers and commuters across the country. The use of CCTV has been so rapid in the UK that regulation has lagged the implementation and is still now being put in place.
It was not until 2003 that CCTV system controllers were required to register with the Information Commissioner ensuring that they followed data protection principles. Today, the code of practice for CCTV in the UK is built on three principles: openness, fairness and proportionality.
Continental Europe is in a different situation. The installed base is much smaller but growth in many countries is still accelerating, versus the more mature UK market. This provides many business opportunities for CCTV specialists to tap into and explore new markets. There is a wide spectrum of CCTV use across Europe. At one end, Denmark generally forbids CCTV use except in very defined circumstances. Other countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland, have a growing CCTV market but the regulatory system is complex, made heavier by the federal (Laender) governments.
France presents an interesting case as it is a high growth market where legislation is both clear and not over-burdensome. The French electronic surveillance industry boasted turnover of €800M, counting 7,000 employees. The industry trade association estimated there were 600,000 installed CCTVs for professional use and a further 300,000 for residential in 2004. That is about a quarter of the installed base in the UK.
Regulation of CCTVs in France is generally at the Département level. A committee, comprised of locally-elected representatives and a technical expert, advices the Prefet for the approval of each CCTV request. In practice, only a small number of applications are rejected.
Police cameras are subject to a different legal framework. This has given rise to much controversy in France, especially as the French police have extensive CCTV use. Historically, CCTV was seen as an effective tool to discourage criminal behaviour. Its use today, however, is being extended, notably into building access control, fire-security systems and building management.
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