Staying Safe—Personal Security Technology And The Data Protection Act 1998

IP & IT analysis: Sales in personal security devices are growing apace, but are users sufficiently aware of the implications of these technologies in terms of data protection? Hazel Grant, partner and head of the privacy and information group at Fieldfisher, alongside Amy Lambert, solicitor, and Fiona Morris, trainee solicitor, explain the legal framework surrounding their use and identify a worrying lack of knowledge among the general public.

With security technology from fingerprint scanner to surveillance cameras now being used in private, could there be any legal concerns?

The key issue is the context in which these activities are carried out. There is a difference between using these technologies in a private, domestic context (eg a family safe unlocked by a finger print scanner) and a manner which will fall outside this context (eg using a surveillance camera on your land to film a public area outside your home). In addition, the data collection may be