Multiple cameras spark concern for privacy

Updated: 2011-10-10 17:21

By Lu Yanyu (Chinadaily.com.cn)

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Residents living in neighboring apartments are at odds after one apartment-dweller installed 8 security cameras in the public corridor of his apartment building, Yangzi Evening News reports.

The dilemma of residents living in the HuihuaKangcheng aparment building in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu province, has been opened to public opinion after one neighbor went public by posting on a website about his concerns in relation to the security cameras invading his privacy.

According to the concerned resident, a neighbor occupying a nearby apartment had installed 8 security cameras in the shared area of the building with the intention of capturing any would-be thieves on tape, despite the building already having 2 security cameras installed, which are sanctioned and operated by the building’s property managers

While one resident is certainly concerned about the impact of these ‘extra’ cameras on his privacy, others said they understood the reasoning behind the extra security measures. A fellow resident with the surname Lu revealed that he thought some of the cameras provided by property management didn’t work.

"The reason why the household equipped itself with so many cameras lies in the fact that [the owners property] was stolen before,”said Mr Lu.

However understanding other residents may be, the fact remains that the doubting neighbor’s concerns are valid, according to experts in property disputes.

Vice chairman of Nanjing Property Management Industry Association, Wang Zhongning surmised that“according to certain regulations in property law, this kind of installment in the public area is improper and violates others freedom.”

Zhou Youquan, a lawyer with Jiangsu Lanhai Law Firm, confirmed Wang’s analysis, saying that in this case, any lawsuit relating to the violation of others’ privacy would be valid.