Recording isn't an unlimited right
CCTV exists for an actual purpose — protecting people and property at that specific site — not as a general right to record everything for as long as the disk lasts. Footage should be kept only as long as that purpose requires, with a visible notice at the entrance and named accounts for anyone accessing the archive. That's not just a formality; it's the difference between a system that can be defended when someone asks a question, and one that can't.
Notice at the entrance
Anyone entering a space under CCTV should be told visibly that recording is taking place — a clear, legible sign at the entrance, not small print on a warehouse door. Cameras should be aimed at your own property and at whatever genuinely needs covering; pointing one at a neighbour's private yard or a public area beyond the site's reasonable need raises questions that correct camera placement at installation easily avoids.
Who's allowed to watch the footage
Archive access should run through named accounts, not a shared password half the staff knows. Every viewing gets logged — who opened the archive, when, and why. That protects both the owner and staff on the day someone asks who watched what; without a log, there's no answer to that question.
How long footage should be kept
The retention period should be set by how long it usually takes for someone to notice a loss and ask for the footage — in a shop that's often 15 to 30 days, in a warehouse a full stocktake cycle (more on that in the guide on how many days of footage to keep). Keeping footage longer than that need doesn't add security, it only increases the amount of data someone is responsible for.
Recommendation: an internal policy before installation
Who's allowed to view footage, how long it's kept, who gets notified after an incident — all of that should be written into an internal policy before the system goes live, not after the first dispute over who saw what. A risk assessment on site is the step where these questions get settled alongside the technical camera layout, so the policy and the installation take shape together, not separately.