Last September, the Spanish Data Protection Agency sanctioned an individual with a fine of 300 euros, the first of its kind, for installing a digital peephole without the consent of the neighborhood community. The digital peepholes They are security devices that replace the traditional optical peephole on home doors and consist of a camera and a viewfinder that allows you to see what is in front of it. They may also have other features such as motion detection, night vision or, most problematic, image recording that may conflict with what is stipulated in the General Data Protection Regulation.
In the case sanctioned by the AEPD, a neighbor reported the convicted person because the electronic peephole pointed at the landing and recorded what was happening in a community space without having received authorization from the neighborhood community. She was infringing article 6.1 of the GDPR which indicates that the processing of data, in this case of neighbors, is lawful when the interested parties have given their consent to do so.
The AEPD considers that images produced by cameras or video or camcorders are personal data which must be processed in accordance with data protection laws. Article 22 of the Organic Law on Data Protection indicates that people They have the right to use a camera system to guarantee the security of their propertybut these devices cannot focus on third-party private spaces or public areas without valid authorization and must ensure that they do not violate the privacy of other people.
These issues do not affect all types of digital peepholes equally. The most basic modelswhich simply relay the image of what is on the other side of the door to the viewer when a button is pressed, escape the General Data Protection Regulationaccording to the specialized media Xataka Smart Home.
But if they have a memory card or are connected to a cloud service to store them or to the owner's smartphone, then yes You must take into account some aspects before installing it to avoid future problems.
It is necessary inform the neighbors and have, at least, the permission of 3/5 of the community of neighbors. They should not be focused on sites that invade the privacy of third parties, such as common zones. If you see a neighbor's door due to your angle of vision, it is recommended have your permissionalthough it is not mandatory if you already have the necessary agreement with the neighborhood community.
The images that are recorded must be stored securely, be accessible only to you and kept for a period not exceeding 30 days. Of course, these images cannot be broadcast and the digital peephole cannot be constantly recording either. It is best to configure it so that only activates when there is a knock on the door.