Chinese embassy in Portugal removes Hikvision CCTV camera after residents’ concerns
- People living in the area in Lisbon were worried that such surveillance devices could film apartment buildings and public roads
- One resident called the 360-degree Hikvision cameras a ‘blatant violation of privacy’
Surveillance cameras installed at the Chinese embassy in Portugal’s capital Lisbon were removed or repositioned on Thursday after concerns of a “blatant violation of privacy” were raised by residents.
Three large 360-degrees surveillance cameras were installed around the consular section two months ago, a resident who wished to remain anonymous told Reuters in December, saying they were concerned they might be able to film apartment buildings and public roads.
Five other residents Reuters spoke to this month also said they were concerned the cameras might be able to film apartment buildings.
Portugal’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday it had asked relevant authorities to evaluate whether the surveillance cameras complied with the rules. Portuguese law states surveillance cameras cannot point at properties or public roads and must “only capture what is strictly necessary to cover accesses to the property”.
Portugal’s National Data Protection Commission (CNPD) said on December 27 it would reach out to the embassy to clarify the situation.
On Thursday, soon after Reuters reported the complaints, one camera was removed and the other two were no longer facing outside the embassy.