What does the camera law mean for your smart doorbell?
Which rules apply for the camera laws?
When your doorbell falls under the camera law, there are a few rules. We'll explain how to stick to the rules in this article. The rules are:
- The municipality has to know about the camera
- You keep a register of the footage you store
- You have a security sticker for the doorbell
- The doorbell can't record any property of the neighbors
- You can only store footage that's important for your safety.
How do you report a camera?
Register your camera with the municipality before you place it. You have to ask permission from the municipal council. In addition, you have to share your register with the privacy commission. You write your register yourself and it's publicized, so every visitor can check why they're being recorded. That gives a save feeling to visitors and passers-by.
Where do you place the security sticker?
The sticker has to be visible to visitors that you record with the doorbell. Stick it next to your door and preferably at eyelevel or next to the doorbell. On the sticker, write down the information of the civil servant that gave you permission, your email address, your name, and your address. You can get the information of the civil servant from the municipality when you request it. It might sound weird that you have to state an address. Your address is required because not every home is also your postal address.
Where can you mount the doorbell?
It's important that your doorbell only records your drive and not the private property of your neighbors. Security cameras may never record public roads. Only record the space in front of your door and your own drive. The doorbell also has to be visible. That's also useful for visitors who are looking for the doorbell. Don't share the footage that includes people with others.
Which footage can you store?
When you want to store camera footage for your safety, write down why you want to store this footage in a register. The municipality might deny your request when there's no reason for security. An unsafe feeling isn't a valid reason, for example. You can store footage for 1 month. Set up the app of your doorbell in such a way that it deletes the footage automatically after that time.
