Burglar Alarm

The times when only the rich and the famous could buy products of modern technology are a thing of the past. Nowadays, with all the advancements, a lot of the electronic gadgets have become more affordable and accessible to a wider market. Such is true with surveillance cameras, which can be bought anywhere at prices anyone can afford. The good side is that even owners of homes and small businesses can take advantage of having a way to check whether there are undesirable activities happening on their properties. However, it is always best for them to know and understand video surveillance laws. There are rules that must be followed to spare oneself from any legal liability.

Surveillance laws differ among states. Hence, it is imperative to check with a local attorney to determine whether your plan of installing a surveillance device is complying with the related rules. Laws can also differ depending on whether you are dealing with covert or overt business or home video surveillance so you should also identify where your target surveillance system would be classified under. Overt surveillance involves monitoring and or recording of people who have full awareness that there is a surveillance device being used. This is an accepted form of surveillance in the United States but prohibitions exist for private areas such as restrooms and lockers. Again, there can be certain provisions which may not be the same in every state and so it would be help to become informed than to make assumptions.

Covert surveillance, on the other hand, pertains to surveillance of people who don’t know they are being monitored at all. Many people and business operators have profited much from having hidden cameras that now serve as their extra eyes, looking after their loved ones and their assets. Most laws actually tolerate this form of surveillance, with or without the approval of the persons concerned. There are 13 of the United States, however, that forbid the unauthorized use of video surveillance cameras in private places. These states consisting of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Utah mandate that photographing, recording or monitoring of private places be allowed only when the people under close observation have given their full consent about the surveillance. Maine and Michigan both consider this act as a felony but in Michigan, it can be punishable by a $2,000 fine and 2 or more years of imprisonment.