Your Privacy in Elevators

Are you being watched when you’re riding an elevator? Have you ever been concerned about your privacy while riding an elevator? Do you think about the fact that there may be surveillance cameras recording you? Are you aware of your rights and if you even have any in such a public place? Here is some information regarding elevators and your privacy.

 Where You’re Most Likely To Be Recorded

 Many elevators in public places such as hotels, office building, stadiums, and theatres are going to have surveillance cameras in their elevators. This act is perfectly legal and acceptable. It is important to record people coming and going, for both the safety of other visitors and property; In certain cases, it is essential. 

 Video Surveillance

 We’ve all come across leaked footage of people in elevators. Most times these images are of athletes or celebrities being caught in the act, so to speak. While other times the footage is attached to legal cases and being used as evidence. At least once in your lifetime you’ve seen a camera pointed right at you in an elevator. Some may wonder about the legality of security cameras in public places. Cameras are allowed within reason; however, there are rules that govern when and how these devices can be used. 

 This doesn’t mean that building owners have a free reign when it comes to recording people’s actions once they walk into an elevator. Privacy rights set strict guidelines that owners are required to follow. For example, cameras are only used to record video, not audio. Cameras also can’t be used in certain places, such as dressing rooms and bathrooms.

 All in all, cameras inside elevators must serve a legitimate business purpose. They are made to avoid intruding into a person’s reasonable expectation of privacy. Due to this, security cameras are always situated at a high vantage point and only used for video surveillance. A camera that is also recording audio is a violation of federal wiretapping laws.