Nicosia hotel fined for its use of unnecessary CCTV

20:25 THE COMMISSIONER for Personal Data Protection, Nicos Danielidis has fined the Holiday Inn Hotel in Nicosia €3,000 for using CCTV cameras in unnecessary places around its premises.

Danielidis also ordered the hotel to remove 25 out of the 60 CCTV cameras, which were apparently installed in the hotel’s restaurants, bars, reception halls, kitchens and swimming pool.

The hotel has also been instructed to re-adjust the building’s back street cameras, so that they do not record any images of the entrances or interior spaces of neighbouring buildings and shops.

“The personal life of each and every citizen needs to be respected and one should not be under continuous surveillance” said the commissioner.

Ratifications of European laws concerning personal data protection in 2003, bestow the relevant commissioner with the authority to hand over fines of up to €8,540 when deemed appropriate.

The initial complaint for the hotel’s CCTV camera system was placed in November 2010 by the workers’ unions, SEK and PEO, who represented a number of the hotel’s staff.

According to the commissioner, an on-site check was performed on March 23 and the subsequent report of April 28 called on the hotel to remove the 25 unnecessary cameras.

The hotel claims that its CCTV system is solely used for matters of security and fire safety, and that all the cameras were installed in positions that would maximise security.

Danielidis said that the hotel had failed to cooperate with the commissioner, and did not respond to three notices sent throughout the past year.

The commissioner’s report states that there is already sufficient surveillance in the hotel’s entrances, lobby, corridors and fire exits, thus rendering the additional cameras obsolete.

“The few past examples of theft that have occurred at the hotel cannot override the hotel’s interest in protecting the personal life of its staff and customers” said Danielidis.

The Holiday Inn is expected to release an official statement today. It has up to 75 days to appeal against the fine.

If it chooses to do so, the case might be dragged on for a considerable amount of time.

 

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