Imagine being filmed in your own home, without your consent -- and having no way to review the footage. That’s exactly what asylum seekers have been subjected to since security firm G4S deployed 60 housing and welfare officers with body-worn cameras set to “constant record mode.”  

The good news is after The Guardian broke news of G4S surveillance practices, the security firm promised to change the policy to advise officers only to use the cameras “when they feel intimidated or threatened.” But the change still isn’t enough to comply with UK privacy rules. 

Under rules made by the information commissioner, individuals have the right to review footage collected of them. And so far G4S has failed to confirm that asylum seekers will be afforded that right within the 40-day window the rules mandate. 

It’s clear we have the attention of G4S decision makers: now, we need to make sure the security firm complies with ALL aspects of privacy law. 

Facing questions from regulators and the threat of legal action from asylum advocates, G4S was quick to promise to scrap the use of constant recording. 

In order to hold security corporations like G4S accountable, people need the power to review footage collected of them. Police have to comply with these transparency measures, and corporations like G4S must be held to the same standards. 

G4S responded quickly to public outcry over its “constant recording” policy, giving us a great opportunity to use this momentum to demand more. Everyone -- including asylum seekers -- has the right to review information collected about them. G4S needs to fulfill the Information Commissioner’s Code of Practice and ensure asylum seekers have access to any video footage captured of them.