Privacy Zone Technologies to protect privacy

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In partnership with a UK Police Force, IP video systems manufacturer IndigoVision has developed 'Privacy Zones' – a solution to the problem of implementing hidden zones without permanently losing the video which may be needed for evidential purposes in the future.

The new feature has been developed specifically for law enforcement and prison applications, but can also be deployed in many public CCTV projects. The company believes that the new feature "helps balance peoples' right to privacy against the need to implement surveillance".

The Privacy Zones feature – implemented in IndigoVision's 'Control Center' management software – blocks out areas of video to avoid viewing data or images that are irrelevant or intrusive. However, unlike standard privacy zones, the new feature does not permanently lose the video.

IndigoVision's Graham Scott said: "Many CCTV applications demand the use of privacy zones which ensure during normal viewing that certain areas of a scene can be blocked out to protect individuals' personal privacy.

"However, authorised personnel may sometimes need to view the whole scene, including these hidden areas, and record the scene for evidential purposes."

IndigoVision offers the following as an example of where this feature may be useful.

"A typical application would be to protect toilet areas in prison cells from being viewed by general security staff, to give occupants a level of privacy. However, this can result in prisoners undertaking illegal activity in the vicinity of the toilet.

"To counteract this, it may be deemed justified by the organisation to allow a senior officer to 'look through' the privacy zones in both live view and on recordings in order to deter this activity or to prepare evidence."

The new feature has been implemented as part of an integrated IP video system in a police custody suite, where a number of holding cells are continuously monitored, together with the booking desks, charging area, fingerprinting and building corridors. Two-way intercom audio and the I/O for a cell call button are also transmitted over the IP network.

When a cell call is initiated by a prisoner, the video is automatically displayed on a designated workstation, together with a map identifying the location of the call. The operator can then hold a two-way conversation over the network with a prisoner. Video and audio is recorded on NVRs.