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What are My Rights Against Video Surveillance?
Violated Privacy asks: "A video bugging device was recently discovered in the bathroom of the house I share with three others. After sharing this find with one of the housemates, I am sure whose camera it is. Needless to say, we're both rather upset over the matter. What are our legal rights in this matter? It's not the government doing it, but another private citizen with whom we willingly (until now...) share a house. Are there special considerations? (Yes, I should ask a lawyer. I plan on doing that tomorrow when I get a chance. The problem is, most lawyers aren't exactly experts in this area.) Has anyone on Slashdot done research into this field of privacy law?"
What's the address of the website you're on?
09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0
Jesus loves you, I think you suck
This is completely legal. There's no use going to the police; people do this all the time. You should probably just put it behind you.
Oh, and could I have my video camera back? Thanks.
Any lawyer you speak to is far more likely to be an expert on it than some random guy on /. (apologies to the lawyers in the audience). And even if a lawyer isn't an expert, s/he is probably more than capable of finding the answers or pointing you in the right direction.
fuck you.
I would say unplug it and hide it in a closet, then casually mention that the alarm wasn't working too well so you threw it away and bought a new one.
Watch their reaction when they realize that their $350 just got tossed.
Different states have different laws on this... For instance, in Massachusetts so long as they weren't recording *sound*, then it's perfectly legal (yes, believe it or not!).
We *are* trying to fix this little loop-hole, but legislation has tied the bill up for a bit...
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge"
- Charles Darwin
In most places I've heard of, invasion of privacy is a crime; there have been numerous news items about people (mostly men) being prosecuted for putting cameras in restrooms and changing rooms. So go to the cops first. At the very least you'll get a police report out of it.
Sustainability and energy independence essay
First, take pictures of the device so you have documentation in case the pervert housemate gets suspicious and tries to remove it quickly. Then call the police; in most states this is a criminal act that can get the perv arrested. (I recall a case in the past couple of years where prosecutors discovered that their state's law had been written before video was invented, and was worded in such a way that it only covered audio recordings. The perv in that case got off, but the state legislature fixed the problem promptly.) Do not hesitate about calling the police and getting this person in trouble; this is the act of a sick and potentially dangerous person who needs either intense involuntary psychiatric treatment or prison time, or both. Do not worry about your lease and so on, those things will work themselves out. Go to the police NOW!
And remember, if your name is on the lease, you can grant permission to the police to search the premises without a warrant...
That leaves a criminal case, and fortunately you're not expected to do legal research before requesting one. If you want to go that route, call the police and have them and the local prosecutors decide what can be done.
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
I don't understand why you wouldn't just beat the fuck out of the person for doing it? Whatever happened to direct justice/vengeance? You know, it's not a BAD THING to get your own justice when someone does something wrong to you. Fill up a pillow cases with bars of soap and everyone can have at the prick. Hey, maybe you can even videotape it!
1) As a member of the house, he can legally record anything happening in it.
2) As long as he does not try to reap any financial gain from it, he can freely post it anywhere he sees fit. Yes, this means he could plaster it all over the web and you'd have no legal recourse (assuming you and your roomie are over 18)
There was a case a while back of a father taping his twenty-something year-old daughter (without her knowledge) and posting the videos to the net. She brought him to court and lost.
You can't make him erase it and you can't bust him for taking the footage. As long as he doesn't sell it you're SOL.
IANAL. But even if I were you should be taking everything you read here with a grain of salt. Follow up with an actual attorney tomorrow.
Reformat their hard-drive.
(use a knoppix cd to boot the beast)(wear gloves at the keyboard)
They'll assume drive failure the first time. The second time, they'll get a really uncomfortable feeling.
PS: I don't actually advocate doing that. I would just move.
PPS: If you really want to do something, call a lawyer.
PPPS: Landlord?
"Piter, too, is dead."
Does their name appear on your lease? You may want to talk with a lawyer first, but if one of my housemates tried to pull any of that, I would likely change the locks and leave their possessions on the lawn for them to collect.
There are some things that you shouldn't tolerate. I believe that this is one of them...regardless of the legality of their actions.
As far as them releasing pictures of you on the can and in the shower, your rights vary from state to state (if you're in the US). Contact your state AG's office for details.
-Turkey
It's illegal in all 50 states (I'm assuming you're in the US). It often falls under the Peeping Tom laws but, there are also more stringent and specific laws in many places. In many states the person will become a registered sex offender, as they should be.
Here's a case from 2002. This story, dated August 2004, sounds very much like yours.
Pawn it...
Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
If the video stream goes to a computer, come up with a picture, which digitized would contain a JPEG virus and attack GDI+ interface of their Windoze machine.
... I am thinking of setting up a webcam of my roommates and was seeking the legal opinion of non-lawyers.
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Set up a secret camera in his room to record the dork. When you catch the guy smoking pot or masturbating, send the video tape to his parents.
94% of Repubs and 21% of Dems voted to renew the Patriot Act
Why don't you confront the person face to face before unleashing some greedy lawyer onto the case? If the culprit's one of your housemates, I guess you can just talk it over... I mean, if the recordings were only done for private purposes and only involve adults, kicking the guy out and destroying the evidence sounds like a reasonable punishment.
:)
Of course, if it's your landlord doing it and selling/sharing the stuff among sickos, it's another story.
Just remember that not everything in life should be judged in court, dialogues can solve many things without getting to ruin one's life with punitive damages or jailing. Someone watched your butt, it's not the end of the world for Khtuhlu's sake! You'll save yourself a lot of stress that way and probably live longer
-- It's always darker before it goes pitch black.
You Roomate Action
M M Physical violence, combined with targetted property destruction (erase HD, etc.)
F F Same as above
F M Police, court system - get him tagged as a sex offender for life
M F Sorry, you are S.O.L. Can't beat her up, legal system won't help. Just try to get the tapes/data erased and kick her out. Of course, if she's kinky enough, maybe there should be a change in strategy.
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
I'm curious as to how you figured it out? Was your roomie a weirdo and gave you the heebie-jeebies? Have you seen those clocks before and the thought crossed your mind that you might have one in your house?
I always wonder how many of the hotels I've stayed in have had hidden cams. In the high school I went to for about 3 years, we noticed that one of the mirrors in the boys bathroom across from the library looked a bit different than the rest. It didn't reflect as much light. Behind that wall was the teachers lounge. One day after school when most people were gone, we went into the lounge. Along that wall was a series of closets. We opened one of the closets, pushed some stuff to the side, and in the back, someone had chipped out part of a cement block to be able see through the two way mirror they had installed in the bathroom. We never brought it up to anyone, and I'm sure it's probably still there today (11 years later).
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Hang a photo of the goatse guy in front of the camera...
If he doesn't know that you know you could always give him a special show. May I suggest pointing it at images of a certain man of the goats we've all come to know and fear? Or perhaps his girlfriend in her tub?
"An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." Col. Jeff Cooper
If you are male, and your house mate is male, kick his ass. Twice. If you are female and your house mate is female, kick her ass.
If you are female, and your house mate is male then get your brother or boyfriend to kick his ass. If you don't have either, get some guy who wants to be your boyfriend (but never will be) to kick his ass. In either case start listening to your mother when she tells you something is a bad idea.
I have no idea what you should do if you are male, and your house mate is female. That's too freaky and weird for me to get my head around.
Hope this helps.
-Peter
If a minor goes into that room, it could become automatic child porn. I remember reading of a case of a hidden camera and the person who put it there LOL at the people upset about it. Until a 14 year old came forward and said they had changed clothes in that room. That gave the police all the probable cause they needed to confiscate everything and haul him away on a child porn charge. He now has to register as a sex offender.
DNA is a Turing machine. You, however, being dynamic and emergent, are not.
A's - I'm upset because $PERSON didn't ask me for permission. *a matter of principle* ...
B's - I'm upset because $PERSON got a peek into my 'secrete/private'-life. *a matter of humiliation*
I don't claim I know more than I know, and if you know you know more than I know, then by all means, let me know.
Dear Slashdot, I am currently in county lockup for running over a homeless man in downtown Chicago. He was lying on a wireless access point that I wanted to warchalk. I'm using my one phone call to post an AudioBlog entry that will be crossposted to Slashdot, so I ask you, the Slashdot reader: How should I plead in my arraignment tomorrow?
Piss on their toothbrush in front of the camera.
IANAL, but I am a law student (admittedly a lowly first-year).
Your options here will definitely vary by what state you're in. There may be a state law against unauthorized recording (for instance, the one Linda Tripp violated in Maryland, although I don't know the particular law and I'm not sure if it would apply here).
More likely, though, you could have a civil claim (not criminal), although this would again depend on what state you're in. This might represent an "intrusion upon seclusion" or "invasion of privacy" tort - you should research the law on this in your state, or get a lawyer to do it for you (probably the better idea). If you happen to be in California (or even if you're not), I know some cases that might be relevant just because I just had an assignment on this sort of thing - Shulman v. Group W Productions, Sanders v. American Broadcasting Corporation, Walker v. Darby, and Sanchez-Scott v. Alza Pharmaceuticals. (California Supreme Court, California Supreme Court, 11th Circuit, and California Appellate Court, respectively)
Of course, this does not constitute legal advice - just some ideas on where you might want to research. You should absolutely call a lawyer.
This is obviously a reverse astroturf (is there a real word for that?). This guy gets his product put on slashdot (better advertising that having it be a popunder on new york times as far as I can see) for free!
Way to go slashdot editors!
You are obviously NOT a police officer. First of all, I've never heard an officer refer to him/herself as a "cop." Secondly, your advice is complete BS. DO NOT EVER tamper with evidence!!! The second you start moving stuff around you've very likely destroyed whatever case the DA may have had, and you've certainly destroyed whatever civil case you may have had.
Call the police, follow their advice. Not some AC "cop" from slashdot.
I do not read or respond to AC's. If you want a discussion, log in. Otherwise, don't waste your time.
My concerns:
Meeting with the landlord and having him thrown out is probably the most expeditious way of dealing with this. If the roommate decides to make a stink, the landlord should start formal eviction proceedings against him, and call the local reactionary newspaper columnist with a great story on how hard it is to throw a dangerous roommate out of a house in order to protect the other tenants.
I freely acknowledge that you are under no obligation to do anything positive or helpful in your situation, and that under the law you have the right to be as destructive and punitive to this individual as you can get away with. There is a huge difference between having a right and doing the right thing.
This is not my sandwich.