A business or individual records you on CCTV or video and shares the footage publicly or with others
Premiumintermediate7 minutes
The Situation
What They Said
“We have CCTV footage of what happened and we are sharing it with anyone who wants to see it — including posting it online.”
A business, employer, estate management, or another person shares CCTV or video footage of you — in a dispute, as evidence in an internal matter, on social media, or with third parties — without your consent. This may happen in the context of a workplace incident, a dispute at a shop, or footage used to embarrass or expose you. Many people believe that once they are captured on a camera in a semi-public space, the owner of that camera can do whatever they want with the footage.
The Fallacy
Camera Owner Has Unlimited Rights Over Footage
The camera operator treats ownership of the recording device as giving unlimited rights over the footage and the images of people captured in it. The Data Protection Act establishes that video footage depicting identifiable individuals is personal data. This means it can only be collected, retained, and shared in compliance with the data protection principles — including a lawful basis, purpose limitation, and data subject rights. The camera owner's rights are bounded by the data rights of the people in the footage.
What the Law Says
Your Legal Foundation
Data Protection Act, 2019 (No. 24 of 2019)
Section 2 (definition of personal data) and Section 25 — Video Footage as Personal Data
“Personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. An identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, including by reference to an image or video. Processing of such data must comply with the data protection principles.”
CCTV footage that shows your face or other identifying features is your personal data. Anyone who processes it — collects, stores, shares, or publishes it — must have a lawful basis. Sharing footage publicly or with third parties without your consent and without another lawful basis is a violation of the Data Protection Act.
Data Protection Act, 2019 (No. 24 of 2019)
Section 26(1)(c) and (e) — Right to Object and Right to Erasure
“A data subject has the right to object to the processing of personal data and to require deletion of personal data that was processed unlawfully.”
You can formally object to the sharing of your footage and demand that it be deleted from any platforms where it has been posted. If the sharing is unlawful and causes harm — including reputational harm — you can seek damages through the ODPC complaint process or the courts.
What Scripture Says
God's Word on This
Proverbs 11:13 (NIV)
“A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.”
The decision to publish footage of another person — particularly in a context designed to expose or embarrass them — is a modern form of the betrayal that Scripture repeatedly condemns. CCTV cameras exist for security purposes; using the footage to damage, expose, or humiliate someone extends the original purpose into territory Scripture and the law both prohibit.
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What They'll Say Next
Common Counter-Arguments
After you respond, they may push back with these arguments. Members get the full rebuttal for each.
They might say: “This footage was taken in a public area — you have no expectation of privacy in a public place.”
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They might say: “The footage shows you doing something wrong — you deserve to be exposed.”
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149 South African rights scenarios — exact rebuttals, constitutional law, and Scripture. Practise out loud with audio. Free to start with 2 full domains.