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Caught with your pants down?

CCTV<br /> Grosvenor picture 3, camera amongst cubicles, 2010.07″ class=”asset asset-image at-xid-6a0120a57e35a3970b0133f2967360970b<br /> ” src=”http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/.a/6a0120a57e35a3970b0133f2967360970b-250wi” style=”width: 220px; margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px;” /></a><br /> We’ve written many times about CCTV in toilets or changing rooms in <a href=schools, pubs and public toilets.

More cases of this absurd intrusion into our privacy are constantly coming to light, with prying electronic eyes in (formerly) private places – toilets and changing rooms. From public houses to public toilets, leisure centres to supermarkets, even children’s school changing-rooms, CCTV has become inescapable and, even more shockingly, deemed acceptable. Such ludicrous measures are defended by Local Education Authorities, councils and firms nationwide (no doubt because fighting against misuse of soap dispensers is a cause that justifies of capturing semi-naked pictures of the public).

 The Sun reports that time-keeping is one excuse in the Sutton branch of Tesco, Britain’s biggest private sector employer. “These cameras were initially used for security reasons but management can use them for other issues if they so wish,” a Tesco spokeswoman told The Sun, adding: "Staff may be disciplined if management feel there is good reason to do so," heightening employees’ fears that this means lingering loo-goers.

The Sun article just mentions Sutton so BBW would love Tesco employees in other branches to get in touch with their experiences.

CCTV in schools is increasingly common. CCTV in a Welsh secondary school is supposed to prevent vandalism – something that in the bad old days was done by a device called discipline, no longer widely available. “CCTV was installed, in the main, to overcome concerns about the misuse of paper and soap” said Ceredigion’s council leader, Keith Evans, an advocate of the action taken (and, incidentally, a school governor). This is the only school in its Local Education Authority to adopt CCTV in loos yet it was defended by the head teacher – albeit without providing any details of who would review the tapes. The same issue of course exists in relation to the CCTV in schools in Chelmsley Wood in the midlands; these reasons amongst others (including serious
parental protests) saw the abandonment of CCTV in toilets in a school in Plymouth.

CCTV Grosvenor picture 2, toilet sign, 2010.07 At the Rose & Crown in York, the justification for CCTV right inside the cubicles is cocaine use – as if coke-heads were too stupid to find a quiet corner anyway. At the Pure Lounge bar in Basingstoke, the excuse is vandalism.

Tooting leisure centre has four CCTV cameras in female changing rooms and no signs to warn any future stars of social networking: Dorota Sharma, a 45-year-old IT manager (so she should know), said “anyone with a little bit of technical knowledge could access it. It very quickly could be on YouTube or Facebook. I find it very offensive.” Children whose changing rooms are monitored in Salford

might feel the same way.

CCTV<br /> Grosvenor picture 1, general CCTV notice, 2010.07″ class=”asset asset-image at-xid-6a0120a57e35a3970b0133f2967295970b<br /> ” src=”http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/.a/6a0120a57e35a3970b0133f2967295970b-250wi” style=”width: 220px; margin: 0pt 5px 5px 0pt;” title=”CCTV Grosvenor picture 1, general CCTV notice, 2010.07″ /></a>This surveillance doesn’t come cheap, either. A Big Brother Watch supporter has discovered via Freedom of Information request that CCTV in his local lavatories in the Hayes in Cardiff cost an eye-watering £6,400 to install – to which maintenance and monitoring costs must of course be added.</p> <p>  Those of you who have had tea with your aunt at the Grosvenor Hotel at Victoria Station will share my shock at finding CCTV in the ladies' there (and the men's, according to the sign, although I confess didn't check). Security no doubt but I think most aunts can manage without the watchful eye of a security man.</p> <p> <a href=Inner temple loo Equally, many amongst our Learned Friends will be surprised and disappointed to find that there is CCTV at the heart of legal London – counsel using the Inner Temple loos will find that they’re being watched (by a camera pictured here).

Reacting to this remarkable escalation in toilet cams, Big Brother Watch’s Director, Alex Deane, said:

Our campaign against this growing and disturbing phenomenon has been triggered many members of the public who got in touch because they were so upset.

CCTV in loos is incredibly intrusive, and shows the contempt councils and schools have for our privacy.

Many toilet users don’t realise it – but all too often, Big Brother is watching you pee.

There must be many more stories like this out there but many won’t have been spotted by the media and even when they have been, many local newspapers are not online – so please send us details and photographs so that we can name and shame the absurd people responsible.

By Lydia Ellis

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Big Brother Watch Posted in CCTV, Privacy
  • http://www.englandexpects.blogspot.com Gawain

    The national gallery has them in its loos as wrell. No doubt to stop people taking out an axe to deal with that ghastly Tinteretto. I will send over a photo next time I am there

  • Matthew Maynard

    As a member of The Inner Temple I am, quite frankly, disgusted. I shall be writing to them this afternoon.

  • MarkB

    Ah but… those old ladies might not have been there from Monday to Saturday if they had had CCTV. Nanny knows best about Elfin safety.

  • NeverSurrender

    Putting CCTV cameras in changing rooms and toilets is utterly abominable behaviour. Are there no limits to the depravity to which we are to be subjected? The law must be changed to stop this disgusting turn of events. This surveillance business has gone completely out of control and way beyond what is acceptable!

  • Brad

    Appalling. I daresay we are headed in this revolting direction out here in the colonies. Surely this must be the subject of preventative legislation?

  • Usukh Dikh

    Swear at them, then force them the other way (if you can reach) before ‘going’.

  • http://www.ndscardsale.com/Acekard Acekard 2i

    I may never be a typophile, but articles like this may just help me bridge the gap. Thanks for the hard work.

  • Richard Craven

    I hereby pledge to take physical action to dismantle any cctv I encounter which invades my privacy in the disgusting ways you have described.

  • JD Hamm

    It is not just CCTV watching you pee!Opposite sex attendants are being given unrestricted access to public toilet/changing facilities especially in motorway service stations where cutomers have no choice(via permanent warning signs to gain implied consent)with no consideration for men/boys using open urinals or women who may be washing/changing/rearranging clothes in the sink area, who may find themselves alone with a strange man (who may or may not be a cleaner) when they exit a cubicle in what is signposted as a single sex female designated area. Male shop assistants are now shouting ‘knock knock, and opening curtains on women trying on lingerie in the female changing areas in branches of M & S without giving customers chance to respond-one manager did offer to call police for a women caught in an embarrassing stste of undress. Paedophiles and perverts must be having a field day!

  • JD Hamm

    How many people are aware that even expensive Cruise ships no longer respect privacy and dignity? Knocking/calling out policies (which depend upon the ability to hear and respond quickly) assume that we are all happy to have our naked bodies/body parts (or those of our children)viewed by an opposite sex worker knocking and opening the door to check occupancy in spa, pool, gym changing areas as well as toilets! Once ogled they may retreat if someone happens to be in a state of undress or aleady using the facilities.Is it no longer considered reasonable to expect same sex privacy in our quest for obtaining equality? They probably have CCTV too!

  • A Harrison

    I am now so angry that I declare I will make a very embarassing scene ie shouting loudly that I am leaving the establishement because of cctv invading my privacy.

  • NeverSurrender

    I am afraid that nothing will happen about this dreadful invasion of our privacy and decency if we only write comments in this forum. I strongly suggest that we all start writing to our MPs about it making it clear that it is completely unacceptable and that we will not tolerate it. I also suggest that we start posting on the government website Your Freedom demanding that the law which permits this degrading treatment be revoked. I have already posted a link to this article at Your Freedom. – http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/

  • Chris W

    Adults may have little protection, and I can even accept sometimes there might only be one cleaner available, but I thought it was firmly against the law for anyone to take pictures of children while undressed, as in a changing room? Surely the owners of the cameras can – and should – be prosecuted.

  • D Ham

    I have written to my MP (Crispin Blunt) who was a waste of space and has strange ideas about bodily modesty! I also have a posting on ‘your freedom’ so please vote-as follows;
    Tighten permissive Privacy & Decency Exception (7 2 b II) to the Sex Discrimination Act which is being eroded by Equality/Employment Law
    Enter privacy & Decency on the search page as the link doesn’t seem to work!

  • JD Hamm

    Its not about having only one cleaner available either as there are ways of getting around this eg ask same sex person/worker to check occupancy, wait till people exit and close facility down for cleaning. Even when there are both male and female cleaners available they are being used interchangeably to challenge heterosexuality as the norm, and break down sex segregation as this is thought to be hampering the progress of equality!

  • Purlieu

    Chris W – it’s not ‘firmly against the law’ to take pictures of children in any state of undress. In fact it’s perfectly legal. You have been deceived by the media etc.

  • NeverSurrender

    @Purlieu – Well it is high time that is was illegal and not just for children but for adults too unless they have given their consent. The rules about privacy in this country are desperately in need of an overhaul.
    Keep writing to your MPs.

  • Purlieu

    Yes, write to your MP and remind him that taking photos in a public place is not illegal.

  • JDHamm

    An extension of the toilet/CCTV issue now that challenges to modesty/decency/dignity exceptions have been extended to shop assistants to see how people react and what they will tolerate! The first casualty that has been reported to me as part of my work role is as follows:- A woman trying on a bra in a female designated changing room in thelingerie dept of a big department store had 2 male assistants open the curtains while she was undressed via a verbal ‘knock, knock’ without giving her time to respond. As she grabbed the curtain to regain some dignity she overheard one of them asking the other ‘if he had got a good look at those’? She had a minor with her in the next cubicle who was very distressed by witnesssing this incident although luckily this did not happen to her. The manager promised that the assistants would be disciplined and offered to call the police! These privacy violations which amount to harrassment will only stop if enough people complain and report offensive incidents instead of putting up with them. The SDA is being replaced by the Equality Act from 1 October 2010 and will replace the SDA GOQs with an occupational requirement test which may help prevent discrimination in employment but will not address these privacy & dignity violations because they are being viewed as a matter of employer good/bad practice. How many people know that these challenges to sex segregation are being seen as successful because more people appear to be putting up with the discomfort compared to the number of people objecting and complaining (as measured by numbers of people using the facilities eg Service Station toilets where there is no choice)? Many people on the street still do not realise that they risk embarrassment and distress/dignitary harm every time they enter a public toilet/changing room whether there are warning signs or not? Responsibility for protecting yourself or your child is down to the individual and it is considered that we all have a choice i. e to use a cubicle (in public toilets) , or change under a towel as if on a beach, if we do not wish to be seen naked in a changing room, even though we are in a single sex designated facility where it has been considered reasonable to expect same sex privacy! Sex segregation has been challenged as perpetuating stereotypical views of men and women and bodily modesty and thereby preventing true equality for women! Unless more people take note of what is going on and protest about privacy violations caused by these changes in social policy which have been imposed upon the public without our consent, this sad state of affairs is set to continue until there is enough proof that distress/dignitary or physical harm is being caused or until something terrible happens, perhaps to a child. Equality is about choice, imposed invasion of bodily privacy without consent is akin to sexual harrassment/assault. Start protesting loudly, verbally and in writing, if you are unhappy with the current state of affairs!
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