The Icelandic Data Protection Authority has ruled that a resident did not violate the privacy of other people by setting up a security camera in their apartment window to monitor their private parking spot, RÚV reports. The security camera sent real-time images to the resident’s phone, but did not take pictures or videos and is not being disseminated. Therefore, says the Protection Authority, no privacy violation has taken place.
A complaint about the resident’s security camera was made by one of his neighbors, who complained about photos being taken of her and her partner. The resident contended that the reason he had the camera was because his neighbor’s partner owned a large Jeep with 44 in. tires and would park it such that he was basically unable to use his own parking spot. The resident also asserted that the partner tended to leave his Jeep running, which was both loud and created a great deal of pollution. The resident said they’d complained to the police about this behavior on numerous occasions, but nothing had come of it.
The complainants claimed that the resident had taken numerous phone pictures of them, followed them around the parking lot, and recorded the couple from the laundry room window. They also said that the security camera’s field of vision would necessarily extend beyond just the private parking spot of the resident.
In making their judgement, the Protection Authority did not find it necessary to gain access to the recording resident’s home. It said that there was no evidence that the neighbor and her partner’s personal information had been used for anything other than “personal use” and said that the security camera was not being used for electronic monitoring.
The compliant was, therefore, dismissed, but the complainants were advised that they could submit another complaint in the future if they had any further information related to a possible privacy violation.
