Baden-Württemberg is planning a massive expansion of video surveillance – what now?

Baden-Württemberg is planning a massive expansion of video surveillance – what now?

A controversial change in the law is underway in Baden-Württemberg that could make video surveillance much easier. The question that arises is how far the protection of citizens' privacy can be set aside in comparison to the protection of life and health. netzpolitik.org reports that the black-green state government is planning to amend the state data protection law. This would allow authorities to store images for up to two months without a specific reason.

Especially in cities like Mannheim, where the police have already installed 70 surveillance cameras, the planned change in the law could lead to increased use of video surveillance systems. The state government wants to make the “priority check” easier, which means that areas that are not considered particularly crime-prone can be better monitored in the future. Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) is open to these innovations and speaks of a growing desire among many municipalities for fewer bureaucratic hurdles.

Public safety versus privacy

The focus is on protecting public facilities, cultural assets and the general feeling of security in public spaces. The legal basis for video surveillance states that the processing of personal data is permitted in the context of public tasks. The aim of these measures is primarily to protect people's lives, health, freedom or property dsgvo-gesetz.de.

The dilemma: The protection of privacy is often put aside. While politicians are trying to find a balance between security interests and the rights of citizens through legal regulations, data protection advocates are observing an increasing expansion of surveillance without appropriate accompanying measures. However, there does not have to be any evidence that the interests of the data subjects worthy of protection outweigh them in order to justify surveillance.

Technological developments and their challenges

The question of video surveillance remains a hot potato in data protection. bfdi.bund.de shows that the use of intelligent surveillance systems, such as automatic facial matching systems, is becoming increasingly common. The trend for private video surveillance has also increased noticeably: from individuals in residential areas to dash cameras in traffic.

Legally, however, video surveillance remains a minefield. The GDPR imposes strict requirements to protect citizens’ personal rights. Video surveillance systems must be used as the mildest possible means and the storage of the recordings must be limited in time. Failure to comply can result in high penalties and legal consequences bfdi.bund.de.

Taking these current developments into account, it is clear: the discussion about video surveillance and data protection will certainly gain further momentum in the coming months. It remains to be seen how the legal framework in Baden-Württemberg will develop and what impact this will have on the protection of citizens' personal data.