Ring doorbell owners could face £100000 fine if they don't follow ...

According to recent research, one in five homes are equipped with video doorbells, allowing homeowners to monitor their property remotely, often via their mobile phone. The benefits of video doorbells include checking who is outside the front door and ensuring packages are delivered correctly.

However, experts are now warning video doorbell owners to ensure they comply with regulations, or risk facing a fine of up to £100,000. Max Royston, director at Gaffsy, has highlighted the little-known rules and regulations for using CCTV in and around the home.

Firstly, owners must ensure their CCTV is GDPR compliant. Royston explains: "If your CCTV films or captures images of people outside of your property boundary, like a neighbour's garden or home, shared spaces or public areas, your CCTV must be GDPR compliant."

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"If it doesn't comply, you could be subjected to action by ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) and risk fines of up to £100,000 as well as potential legal action by any affected individuals (those appearing in your CCTV images or videos). If businesses don't comply, they could be subjected to fines of a whopping £17.5 million."

Additionally, owners must ensure that videos and data captured by the doorbell are stored correctly, reports Bristol Live.

Royston advises: "Ensuring the data and time is correct is important, in case you need to submit videos for assessment. You'll also need to check whether the recorded information is used for the purpose of which your system was installed."

Royston has issued a stark warning for those who love sharing their doorbell videos on social media, cautioning that "you could be infringing on privacy rights."

He also stresses the importance of understanding that as an owner of a video doorbell, you're in charge of the CCTV system. "It's your responsibility to ensure that the system is installed correctly, for all the information recorded by your system," he says.

Royston further advises that the footage should only be used for protecting your property and if someone requests the deletion of videos captured by your doorbell, compliance is necessary. "If the CCTV footage is captured outside your property limits, you should only keep the footage for an appropriate period and delete it after a few months. You should also delete footage of neighbours if they ask, due to the GDPR rules," he adds.

Lastly, Royston highlights the potential consequences of not adhering to GDPR and privacy regulations, which could lead to disputes with neighbours or hefty fines.