Source: "Blic"
When at the beginning of April the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection has performed supervision regarding abuse of a video record from the video surveillance system (appearance of the record „in the vicinity of Arena" on Internet) „the most interesting“ determined thing was a complete lack of any procedures.
Procedures for acting of persons using or maintainign the system haven't also been determined, or the protection measures for supervising and recording their actions. A large number of people, practically undetermined one, could access the working stations. Therefore the Commissioner of the Ministry of Internal Affairs published a Warning where in 14 points he points out to measures and activities that should be undertook for eliminating the observed shortcomings.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has passed Mandatory Instruction on Conditions to Use and Maintain the Video Surveillance System for City Traffic Arteries and Crossroads for the City of Belgrade. It prescribes procedures for using and maintaining the system, so that the system abuse risk shall be decreased several times. By the system of individual e-ID cards shall be precisely defined and limited the circle of persons who are permitted to access the video surveillance system, and the exact period shall be recorded, as well, in which any of them made access. By introducing the internal video surveillance of the rooms with working stations, access shall be constantly controlled.
Of course, all this is not so special regarding the modern criteria. In international surroundings in the personal data protection context, such measures are considered standard, inevitable. But this is not yet so in our country, and therefore the move of the Ministry of Interior is really valuable.
It would significantly decrease the risks of abusing the video surveiilance system in Belgrade. But even more important is that it can and should be a good example for all the other, more or less similar situations. Information on whether in this or that town „the most modern“ video surveillance system has been introduced are growing, and the information on whether and how the use of those systems is controled and abuse is prevented is ommited as a rule. And such practice has to change.
