UAE capital city of Dubai has made a new rule for enforcement officers to document violations and enact rulings, decisions, and orders with cameras. The new regulations make it illegal to record in areas that are deemed to be highly sensitive about privacy, such as private residences, places of worship and changing rooms. Persons should also be notified of the occasion when a recording is occurring. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE handed out the resolution to extend accountability and protect privacy rights of individuals.
Mandatory Training for Officers
The body-worn cameras will be used by the enforcement officers, who will also have to complete specialized training before being granted judicial enforcement powers. Legal and ethical obligations, privacy protection needs, documentation practices, and safe handling and transfer of recorded footage will be emphasized during the training.
Secure Storage and Data Protection
A resolution demands that all video footage be captured using such systems as encryption to prevent access by others without proper authorization, tampering or misuse. All recordings are to be managed in a manner that is consistent with Dubai’s laws and the standards devised by the Dubai Electronic Security Centre, by government entities. Authorities must also ensure that they are meeting information security and business continuity policies about retaining, managing and safeguarding recorded data.
Responsibilities of Government Entities
The Government have to exercise a very close watch on the footage they keep. Their responsibilities include:
- Recordings are recorded electronically in safe systems
- Confidentiality of recording material.
- Do not restrict access, sharing or use without obtaining written permission.
- Keeping records of authorised users and levels of access granted.
- Requiring staff to adopt the standards for privacy protection
- Providing mandatory training before officers receive enforcement authority
Rules for Enforcement Officers
The resolution sets out many responsibilities for officers who are required to record:
- Students will not use cameras for personal reasons.
- All recordings must be kept confidential and secure.
- Footage can only be shared with authorised government entities or approved individuals
- No record or recording copies or transfers to personal recording devices may be used by officers.
- Recordings may not be used for any purpose for personal benefit or illegally.
Additional Provisions
The resolution enables the heads of governmental bodies to deliver supplementary decisions for implementation within their respective jurisdictions not conflicting with the ones the Chairman of the Supreme Committee of Legislation has made in Dubai.
In addition, the conceptual framework extends the obligations to private companies, that are contracted by government bodies, in order to ensure that all stakeholders are subject to the same data security and privacy and recording requirements. It shall be published in the Official Gazette and come into force at once upon publication.
