Court bans video surveillance of public areas

The Federal Constitutional Court of Germany (Bundesverfassungsgericht – BVG) decided on Tuesday that cities and communities are not permitted to set up video surveillance cameras in public areas as this infringes the right to personal information of random persons passing there. According to the Court the Bavarian Data Protection Law has not defined when and in which measure such surveillance is permissible.

In the summer of 2005 Regensburg introduced a monument to the former synagogue on Neupfarrplatz to the public, an open structure in the pedestrian zone which soon became a target of anti-Semitic attacks. The city of Regensburg then set up surveillance cameras in an attempt to deter or capture the culprits. A lawyer who passed by the site on a daily basis claimed that his right to privacy was being infringed and sued the city to have the cameras removed. He lost in the first two rounds but succeeded (German link) at Germany’s highest court.

The Court did, however, express a strong recommendation towards the Bavarian legislature to re-define “as soon as possible� when and in which measure video surveillance can be deemed necessary.
Locations such as train stations, airports and underground stops are surveyed under the protection of the locality operator’s rights along with busses and streetcars, and hot-spots of crime are surveyed subject to the Regulations of Police Duties (Polizeiaufgabengesetz – PAG) with the police using communal and privately operated cameras to survey areas of lesser interest as well.

My question arising out of this verdict: If there is even a slight chance of preventing crimes or of finding whoever does commit them, should I be bothered if I appear on surveillance tapes? Personally, I don’t give a hoot.

Additional source: Süddeutsche Zeitung, 22 March 2007, online article.
Photo source: Surveillance cameras - Wikimedia Commons

Sounds a bit suspicious to me - is that lawyer responsible for some of the anti-Semitic attacks?

CCTV is not about preventing crimes.

It's for catching terrorists innit!

Now why did I expect that from you? You know I'm not going to agree with you, and it's a Friday too.

I love CCTV, it makes our streets safer in a world where most people couldn't even spell civil courage let alone act like a gentleman and try to prevent a crime. But there again I believe the implantation of microchips would prevent 80% of crimes such as drink driving, theft, curfew etc.

Why is Germany such a criminal friendly country?

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who shall watch the watchers themselves?
- Plato

pleeaasse. What is the difference between human surviellance and camaras? The ammount of times CCTV has been used to construct a victims last movements and lead to a conviction is a benefit well worth it. Actualy in London the face recognition systems are run by a third party independant of the police. There is also discusion in making the numberplate surviellance details gathered by the maut system available to the police here.

Big Brother is watching you. Don't be alarmed.
Surrender.

I had to slip it in Gideon mate cos I knew love it.

I bet you say that to all the guys eh?

I want more big brother to be honest. I want Massive Mamma. I want IRFD chips, compulsory DNA fingerprinting, and biometric passes, oh we've got those. Imagine the benefits to society. Unruly bunch of liberals protesting against something or another - or unruley italian hooligans. Scan the crowd's chips, instant arrest list. Pick 'em up at their places of work the next week. No more schwarzfahren, no more queues at the supermarket. Imagine a society where everybody is forced to be honest and respect each other!

Yeah everybody except those in control of the system. You know who i mean don't you. You know those who are currently circumventing it all.

Yes they're the ones who rape people on the streets, mug old grannies, steal your car. They're the ones involved in credit card fraud and such yes? Liberals of the world, if you carry a mobile phone you're movements are trackable now. If you use anyform of plastic money you're trackable now. I see no problem in a completely controlled non-crime environment, where the rest of us can get on with our lives without fear.

the problem isn't what, it is how. as they said, what remains to be done is regulating the ways in which CCTV is going to be used.

@Gideon...

Looking forward to seeing you running around with a Verichip in your arm buddy.

Edit: I am getting on with my life without fear i general, just a little fear about those freaks who have a penchant for invading other countries.

Makes sense they did this consiering they stopped sending speeding pics home, to protect cheating mates from their significant others! Forbid the day when someone in a divorce proceeding got their hands on some of this stuff! Gotta love Germany and protecting the home.

They still send them. The passenger is blanked out though by a large white box. As the link shows. To my shame. But that's also crap if you were meant to by traveling alone. Or worse complained about a long lonely journey with no-one to talk to.

"I picked up a hitchhiker cos I needed some comapny for the long drive"

Then again, they give you a chance to do things like this:
Surveillance Camera Players