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Legal Considerations Around Recording Customers Who Enter My Business

As a business, you may consider installing video surveillance on your premises to discourage theft or ensure the safety of your customers and personnel. However, your business may suffer significant legal implications if you do not adhere to legal requirements around filming or recording customers that enter your store.

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This article explains the legal requirements around the use of optical surveillance devices. Additionally, it considers the potential consequences of breaching customers’ privacy, as demonstrated by the 7-Eleven case. 

Is it Legal to Record Customers Who Enter My Business?

There are certain situations where it is not illegal to collect the personal information of individuals. This includes collecting their images or identity information. Installing optical surveillance devices, such as CCTV, which collect videos or images of customers that enter your business is legal. However, if you elect to record customers through these devices, you must comply with certain laws. 

Restrictions 

The Privacy Act 1998 (‘Privacy Act’) applies to personal information and governs how businesses can handle their customers’ personal information. The Act will apply to a business if the business:

  • has an annual turnover of over $3 million;
  • provides a health service, or holds health information;
  • is a contractor for the Commonwealth government; or 
  • trades in personal information (e.g. sells personal information to other parties).

Such businesses will be ‘APP entities’ that must comply with the provisions of the Privacy Act

Suppose your business is covered under the law. Then any personal information that you collect through your surveillance devices must comply with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Act, which require you to: 

  • inform customers that you may capture their images before recording takes place. For example, you may post clear signage at the entrance of and throughout your premises, and install cameras in clearly visible locations on your premises to ensure adequate notification to customers that they may be under surveillance; 
  • ensure that any personal information recorded is stored securely, and either destroyed or de-identified when you no longer require the information. For example, you may delete CCTV footage of customers every month; and 
  • only use or disclose the information recorded for the primary collection purpose, for example, to seek action against a person who committed theft on your premises (or for a secondary purpose if an exemption applies).

 

 

 

 

May Preedeesanit
May 11
legalvision.com.au

Lawrence Poletto

Lawrence Poletto, Principal of Poletto accounting is a Fellow of CPA Australia, holds a Bachelor of Commerce (JCU) and has over twenty years’ experience in Commercial and Public Practice.
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Privacy Policy

Poletto Accounting is committed to providing quality services to you and this policy outlines our ongoing obligations to you in respect of how we manage your Personal Information.

We have adopted the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act). The NPPs govern the way in which we collect, use, disclose, store, secure and dispose of your Personal Information.

A copy of the Australian Privacy Principles may be obtained from the website of The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at https://www.oaic.gov.au/.

What is Personal Information and why do we collect it?

Personal Information is information or an opinion that identifies an individual. Examples of Personal Information we collect includes names, addresses, email addresses, phone and facsimile numbers.

This Personal Information is obtained in many ways including correspondence, by telephone and facsimile, by email, via our website www.polettoaccounting.com.au, from your website, from media and publications, from other publicly available sources, from cookies and from third parties. We don't guarantee website links or policy of authorised third parties.

We collect your Personal Information for the primary purpose of providing our services to you, providing information to our clients and marketing. We may also use your Personal Information for secondary purposes closely related to the primary purpose, in circumstances where you would reasonably expect such use or disclosure. You may unsubscribe from our mailing/marketing lists at any time by contacting us in writing.

When we collect Personal Information we will, where appropriate and where possible, explain to you why we are collecting the information and how we plan to use it.

Sensitive Information

Sensitive information is defined in the Privacy Act to include information or opinion about such things as an individual's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, membership of a trade union or other professional body, criminal record or health information.

Sensitive information will be used by us only:

Third Parties

Where reasonable and practicable to do so, we will collect your Personal Information only from you. However, in some circumstances we may be provided with information by third parties. In such a case we will take reasonable steps to ensure that you are made aware of the information provided to us by the third party.

Disclosure of Personal Information

Your Personal Information may be disclosed in a number of circumstances including the following:

Security of Personal Information

Your Personal Information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse and loss and from unauthorized access, modification or disclosure.

When your Personal Information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify your Personal Information. However, most of the Personal Information is or will be stored in client files which will be kept by us for a minimum of 7 years.

Access to your Personal Information

You may access the Personal Information we hold about you and to update and/or correct it, subject to certain exceptions. If you wish to access your Personal Information, please contact us in writing.

Poletto Accounting will not charge any fee for your access request, but may charge an administrative fee for providing a copy of your Personal Information.

In order to protect your Personal Information we may require identification from you before releasing the requested information.

Maintaining the Quality of your Personal Information

It is an important to us that your Personal Information is up to date. We will take reasonable steps to make sure that your Personal Information is accurate, complete and up-to-date. If you find that the information we have is not up to date or is inaccurate, please advise us as soon as practicable so we can update our records and ensure we can continue to provide quality services to you.

Policy Updates

This Policy may change from time to time and is available on our website.

Privacy Policy Complaints and Enquiries

If you have any queries or complaints about our Privacy Policy please contact us at:

enquiries@polettoaccounting.com.au

0417 913 544