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British shopkeepers are being told to think twice before displaying images of suspected shoplifters, after the UK’s data regulator warned such measures could fall foul of privacy laws.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) argues that even when someone is caught on camera stealing, posting their face in a shop window or on social media might not comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Its advice insists businesses “must only share personal information that’s proportionate and necessary” and warns that some ways of sharing could be considered excessive.
The move triggered outrage from Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, who said, “We should be letting the general public know of the photographs of people who have a track record of stealing in towns.” He described GDPR as “complete insanity” that damages healthcare, law enforcement, business, and the wider economy, adding that anyone backing the ICO’s guidance “is on the side of the criminals and should be ashamed of themselves.”
Shadow Home Office Minister Katie Lam said she met a shopkeeper in her constituency who was “plagued by shoplifters” but still ordered to take down photos of them.
“He gives police CCTV, card details, licence plates… No action apart from a visit to say he must take down pics of thieves ‘because of GDPR’,” she wrote online. “Our system should crush the lawless and protect the law-abiding. It does the opposite.”
Even staff-room displays or WhatsApp group shares between businesses “may not be appropriate,” the regulator warns, because they could reach people with no authority to act.
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The post Claim: Privacy Law “Protects Criminals” After UK Watchdog Tells Shops to Take Down Thief Photos appeared first on Reclaim The Net.
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Author: Ken Macon
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