Poland: Property owner fined 26,000 PLN for illegal private surveillance

The President of the Personal Data Protection Office (UODO) has imposed a fine exceeding 26,000 PLN on a property owner for illegal private surveillance. The individual had installed dozens of cameras that recorded both video and audio 24/7, with several cameras directed toward neighboring plots, violating the privacy of residents on those properties.

While GDPR regulations generally do not apply to data processing for purely personal or household activities, this exception does not cover surveillance that extends beyond the owner's own property into public spaces or neighboring private lands.

Following a complaint, UODO ordered the owner to cease processing the complainants' personal data by either removing the cameras or repositioning them. The owner failed to comply with this decision within the required seven-day period. Consequently, the President of UODO issued a fine of 26,711 PLN. The decision is final, as no appeals were filed with the Provincial Administrative Court.