Can my neighbour's CCTV pointing at my property breach data protection law?

What the Law Says

The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) works alongside the UK GDPR to regulate how personal data is processed — including images captured by domestic CCTV.

If your neighbour’s CCTV records images of you or your property — such as your front door, garden, or driveway — and those images identify you (or could do so), they are likely processing 'personal data' under the law.

The DPA 2018 does not exempt domestic CCTV users from data protection obligations simply because the system is for 'personal use'. The exemption in section 2 only applies to processing 'by an individual only for the purposes of that individual’s personal, family or household affairs'. However, this exemption does *not* cover surveillance that extends into public or neighbours’ private spaces.

In practice, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) states that if CCTV captures more than your neighbour’s own property — especially areas where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy — it falls outside the domestic purposes exemption and triggers full data protection duties.

Statutory Text

c. 12

— Data Protection Act 2018 s. 2 — Interpretation

Sources