Can Privacy Be Found With Home Security Cameras?

Privacy versus the lack of privacy with home security cameras is a very hot topic at the moment. What the flack is all about is the capability of home security cameras to watch and/or record homeowners at home without their express knowledge. While cameras are intrinsic to an effective home security system here in Michigan especially Detroit Metro, some opponents are voicing their concerns that these same cameras could be utilized in an invasive manner. If you have such a security camera inside your home, is there anything you can do? Our specialists at Lockout Locksmiths recommend a couple things.

Why Would the Cameras Be Watching?

High-security cameras inside your home are programmed to be watching the comings and goings in your home. Depending on where they’re stationed in your home and their purpose, they could be watching and recording many scenarios.

Some security cameras are only aimed at the front door. Their purpose is to alert you whenever someone unrecognized enters your home. Some security cameras are aimed at more common areas in the home, such as the kitchen or living room. Their purpose is to keep on eye on your home to catch intruders who may enter from another avenue than the front door. Yet other security cameras are aimed at more private areas in the home, such as baby’s nursery, the kids’ playroom, or an elderly parent’s bedroom. Their purpose is to keep an eye on either the babysitter, the caregiver, or even the baby or parent himself or herself while the homeowner is away. No matter what the purpose or target of the camera, there’s recording going on as an intended security measure.

But inherent with these cameras is the oft-chance ability to be hacked and watched by someone other than yourself. There have even been cases of the camera or security companies themselves claiming to use the recordings for marketing purposes, to learn their customers’ lifestyles, needs, and wants in order to better serve them. Regardless of the reasons for watching and who, other than yourself, is watching, is there anything to be done without removing the cameras all together? In short, yes there is.

What You Can Do

If you’re among the crowd who’s concerned about being watched without your consent, since this is still all a burgeoning field and topic, there aren’t a plethora of strategies to take yet. Within the next few years, there are bound to be more options out there. But for now, with this topic still somewhat in its infancy, there are a couple things you can do.

The first thing you might try is purchasing a security camera that can be positioned with different views. That way when you no longer need the camera to be watching for you, say when you arrive back at home, you can reposition the lens to look at a wall or away from the action. Recently a new security camera has arrived on the scene that automatically “looks away” once you’re back in your home. So that’s a start.

This said, if you can’t find a camera that can be easily repositioned or you prefer to stick with your current setup, you might simply cover the lens or camera yourself with something. Depending on how many cameras you have in your home, this could either be an easy or inconvenient solution. And, of course, you need to remember to remove the cover(s) when you want your camera(s) to go back to work for you. But if this is a growing concern to you, until there are better solutions out there, this could certainly help.

We at Lockout Locksmiths integrate high-security cameras into our home security systems as a tool with great success. While this tool is highly effective, there are people voicing concerns in the media about being watched through high-security cameras without their consent. Though these apprehensions are far from epidemic proportions, go ahead and implement the above strategies to ensure your privacy if this is a concern to you. Call us at 248-321-2244 to speak with one of our security specialists at any time.

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