Nicosia, Cyprus. The House plenum on Thursday approved a bill setting out a legal framework for the use of dashboard cameras in vehicles, due to take effect three months after publication. The amendment updates road safety legislation and sets restrictions on recording and use of footage.
Scope and implementation
The legislation regulates the use of cameras in private, commercial and public sector vehicles, aiming to protect drivers in cases of traffic violations or accidents. It is an amendment to the most recent road safety legislation and is set to come into effect three months after its publication.
Data protection and limits on use
The law does not allow the recording of audio material, while data processing remains subject to the data protection commissioner to prevent uncontrolled recording of personal data. It limits the use of recordings to investigative purposes in cases of accidents or other illegal acts and explicitly prohibits publishing videos that include third parties without their consent.
Vote outcome
The bill was approved with 19 votes in favour and 16 against.
Positions from lawmakers and parties
Ecologists’ Movement president Stavros Papadouris said the amendment fills a gap, noting that many vehicles already have dashboard cameras, and said the aim is to allow their supervision under the competent authority. Disy MP Demetris Demetriou said the technology is integrated into many cars and could help resolve liability disputes in insurance cases, while expressing reservations that audio recording provisions were removed and use of content was restricted to extraordinary situations to safeguard personal data. Opposition party Akel criticised the bill, warning the technology could be abused to monitor citizens’ private lives and posed surveillance risks.
How do you think the new restrictions will affect the use of dashboard camera footage after traffic incidents?