Surveillance Video Redaction and its Role in Retail Compliance

Retailers are facing increasing pressure to secure PII in surveillance footage for managing DSARs. Learn how to protect PII and effectively process DSARs to ensure retail compliance with GDPR. 

In today’s retail landscape, managing surveillance footage and complying with privacy laws like GDPR is not only a legal obligation but also a financial necessity.  

With increasing regulations around customer data protection, retailers must also efficiently handle Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs), as outlined in Article 15 of GDPR. And in order to do that, they must have video redaction capabilities. 

Surveillance footage in retail stores is often requested in response to customer complaints or police inquiries.  

For example, in-store cameras capture incidents like theft (smash-and-grab) or accidents, while parking lot and exterior cameras record accidents or crimes near the premises.  

Additionally, cameras are used for staff safety, preventing stock shrinkage, venue protection, and monitoring customer behavior or store analytics. 

Now, the problem is that these surveillance videos often contain sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as faces, license plates, vehicles, employee badges, and even digital screens and custom objects. 

If Person A requests footage that Person B is also in, Person B and their PII will need to be redacted from said footage to comply with legal requirements. 

This is particularly important because failing to comply with DSARs can result in significant consequences for retailers in the form of non-compliance with GDPR.  

Non-compliance with GDPR can lead to fines of up to 20 million euros or 4% of global turnover, whichever is higher. Less severe violations will still result in fines of up to 10 million euros or 2% of global revenue. 

And there's no escaping this for retailers. DSAR requests are on the rise across Europe, with an increase of 246% from 2021 to 2023. In fact, the retail and eCommerce industries alone received around 1,700 DSAR requests per 1 million identities in 2023. 

It’s obvious that video redaction solutions are needed for retail compliance across Europe, but what exactly does it constitute? And more importantly, what does it mean for you as a retailer? 

In this blog, we will discuss the importance of video redaction for surveillance in protecting PII from retail surveillance footage.  

We will also talk about the role of GDPR and DSARs, the growing need for compliance, and how implementing a reliable surveillance video redaction solution can help retailers avoid fines and protect customer privacy. 

Understanding Surveillance Video Redaction and Its Role in Retail Compliance 

Put simply, data redaction is the process of removing or obscuring sensitive information in documents and videos to protect individuals' privacy.  

In retail, video redaction is especially crucial. Surveillance footage from store cameras often contains PII, like faces, license plates, or other details, all of which must be redacted to comply with GDPR. 

When a retailer gets a DSAR (Data Subject Access Request), they might need to share customer data stored across various types, including video footage.  

But if that footage still shows sensitive information, like someone's face or car license plate, it can violate GDPR regulations. 

GDPR Violations and Challenges of Retail Compliance 

If you’re a major retailer and are of the opinion that your processes are too robust to be hit with a GDPR violation... think again. 

There have been several big names that have underestimated the need for compliance with GDPR in recent times, often failing to properly secure/redact surveillance footage. 

For example, the CNIL (France's data protection authority) fined two companies in the Carrefour Group a total of €3.05 million for breaking GDPR rules.  

Carrefour France was fined €2.25 million, and Carrefour Banque was fined €800,000. 

The fines were for failing to properly handle requests to access or delete personal data, sending marketing emails without permission, and using cookies that weren’t necessary without getting user approval.  

Both companies were also found to have poor data management practices, like keeping data for too long and not informing customers properly. 

If they had utilized robust CCTV redaction procedures and implemented surveillance video redaction software, this would not have happened.   

It's essential for retailers to properly protect non-subject PII before releasing data or surveillance footage for any reason.  

Surveillance footage redaction software is built to automatically blur or hide faces, license plates, and other personal details. 

Common Challenges of Managing DSARs for Retail Compliance  

That being said, if you’re a retailer, these are some common challenges you’re likely to face as you scale up your operations: 

Preventing Unauthorized Access or Misuse 

Not everyone should have access to surveillance footage. 

CCTV footage can record particularly sensitive information at times, such as PII, that has extreme potential for misuse in the wrong hands. Even worse, it can lead to great reputational, legal, and financial harm for your organization. 

So, as a retailer, you must make sure the systems you are using to store personal data are secure enough to prevent unauthorized access, hacking, or misuse, especially when handling DSARs that involve sensitive customer information. 

Responding to DSARs Within Legal Timeframes 

As a retailer, you are expected to respond to DSAR requests within a month (barring certain circumstances). Now, if you’re a small retailer, you may be able to get away with manually redacting footage. 

But if you’re a mid to large-sized enterprise, you are likely dealing with hundreds of hours worth of footage that must be analyzed and retrospectively redacted to comply with GDPR requirements. 

This is exactly where many retailers struggle since very few options in the video redaction market offer automated detection, redaction, and activity recognition simultaneously. 

Managing Increasing DSAR Demand 

With DSAR requests on the rise, retailers must find ways to manage a growing number of requests efficiently, especially in sectors like retail and eCommerce, where large volumes of data are processed.  

This usually is the case for retailers (the average company receives 578 access and delete requests every year), and based on trends so far, that number is expected to rise in the future. 

Taking these things into consideration mandates the need for a comprehensive and effective solution that helps retailers timely respond to DSAR requests and ensure retail compliance for GDPR. This is where surveillance video redaction software comes in. 

How A Surveillance Video Redaction Software Helps

Surveillance footage can become a double-edged sword for organizations at times. Sure, it plays a crucial role in retail operations, but it also presents significant challenges when it comes to GDPR compliance, especially when responding to DSARs.  

Retailers must find ways to address these challenges efficiently, making sure that sensitive PII is protected while still providing essential footage.  

Now the question is, is there video redaction software out there that can fulfill these requirements while handling the volume of tasks thrown at it? 

Actually, yes! 

VIDIZMO Redactor provides a comprehensive solution that helps retailers overcome these hurdles by offering a range of powerful features designed to streamline the redaction process. 

1. Video Redaction:

VIDIZMO Redactor enables the automatic redaction of sensitive data, such as faces, license plates, and other identifiable details in surveillance footage.

Using AI-driven technology ensures that no sensitive information is exposed during the processing of DSARs, thus helping retailers comply with GDPR. 

2. Object Detection and Tracking:

VIDIZMO’s advanced object detection and tracking technology automatically identifies and tracks sensitive objects—whether it's a face, vehicle, or other personal identifiers.

This helps retailers efficiently redact footage without having to manually search through hours of video, saving both time and resources. 

3. Clipping and Trimming:

With clipping and trimming functionality, retailers can extract only the relevant parts of surveillance footage while redacting sensitive data.

This feature is especially helpful when sharing footage for specific DSAR requests or legal purposes, as it allows retailers to provide the necessary footage without overexposing irrelevant details. 

4. Bulk Redaction:

Retailers often face the challenge of processing large volumes of surveillance footage. VIDIZMO Redactor’s bulk redaction feature allows businesses to process multiple video files simultaneously, significantly speeding up the redaction process.

This is crucial for meeting the strict deadlines associated with DSAR requests. 

5. Multi-format Support:

Many retailers still use legacy hardware that records in older formats, which can make it difficult to process video footage.

VIDIZMO Redactor supports multi-format files, ensuring that even older video formats can be converted and redacted without issue. This flexibility allows businesses to work with a wide range of video files. 

6. Document Redaction:

VIDIZMO Redactor doesn’t just work with video; it also offers document redaction capabilities. This allows retailers to redact sensitive information from text documents that may accompany DSAR requests, ensuring that all forms of data are handled securely and in compliance with GDPR. 

7. OCR Redaction:

In addition to redacting visual content, VIDIZMO Redactor incorporates OCR (Optical Character Recognition) redaction.

This feature automatically detects and redacts any sensitive text that appears in video footage, such as names, addresses, or other personally identifiable details displayed on digital screens. 

8. Access Controls:

Access controls allow retailers to manage who has permission to view and edit the redacted footage. This ensures that only authorized personnel can access sensitive data, helping to maintain security and compliance with GDPR. 

9. Encryption:

VIDIZMO Redactor ensures that all redacted footage is encrypted, both during processing and storage.

This encryption feature protects the footage from unauthorized access, guaranteeing that sensitive data remains secure, even if the system is compromised. 

10. Single Sign-On (SSO):

To simplify user management, VIDIZMO Redactor integrates Single Sign-On (SSO), allowing retailers to securely log in using their existing credentials.

This enhances the software’s usability while maintaining high-security standards, reducing the risk of unauthorized access. 

11. Secure Storage:

Once the footage is redacted, VIDIZMO Redactor ensures that it is stored securely. Secure storage guarantees that the redacted footage is protected from unauthorized access and remains compliant with privacy regulations like GDPR. 

Common Retail Scenarios that Require Surveillance Video Redaction 

Now, there are a number of scenarios that you, as a retailer, will commonly deal with that involve the need for data redaction: 

Crime and Incident Resolution

As a retailer, you will often need to redact surveillance footage to resolve issues like theft or criminal activity in the store.  

However, sharing unredacted footage could expose sensitive personal information, like customers' or employees' faces or license plates. 

CCTV redaction software helps businesses hide this sensitive data and redact video footage while still providing the footage needed for law enforcement investigations. 

Staff Safety and Internal Investigations

Surveillance cameras also play a key role in keeping employees safe. 

For example, if there’s a workplace dispute or accident and footage is needed, video redaction helps protect employee privacy by blurring faces, employee badges, digital screens, or other personal details.  

This way, the important information can still be shared for safety or legal reasons while making sure no one’s privacy is violated. 

Insurance Claims and Legal Protection

Video redaction is especially important when retailers need to share footage for things like insurance claims or legal protection. 

For example, if a store needs to show footage of a car accident in the parking lot for an insurance claim, they must make sure that personal details, like people’s faces or license plates, are hidden. 

Why You Should Ensure Retail Compliance with GDPR Using VIDIZMO 

As GDPR regulations and DSAR requests grow, retailers must protect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in surveillance footage. 

Not following these rules can lead to heavy fines and damage to your reputation. 

Using a reliable video redaction tool, like VIDIZMO Redactor, is key to keeping customer privacy safe and staying compliant with GDPR. 

VIDIZMO Redactor offers powerful features like automated video redaction, bulk processing, multi-format support, and secure storage. It helps retailers manage DSARs, protect sensitive data, and meet legal requirements. 

With these advanced tools, retailers can streamline compliance, avoid penalties, and keep customer trust. 

As DSAR requests increase, adopting a strong video redaction solution like VIDIZMO Redactor is essential for secure, compliant, and transparent operations in today’s retail world. Oh, and did we mention that we offer a free trial—no strings attached?

People Also Ask

What is video redaction? 

Video redaction is the process of obscuring sensitive information in video footage, such as faces or license plates, to ensure privacy protection. 

Why is video redaction important for retailers? 

Redacting surveillance footage helps retailers comply with privacy laws like GDPR, safeguarding both customer and employee data from unauthorized access. 

How does video redaction work? 

Video redaction software automatically blurs or removes personal details, like faces and license plates, from video footage to protect privacy. 

What features should I look for in video redaction software? 

Look for features like automated redaction, bulk processing, and robust security features such as encryption to protect sensitive information. 

Does video redaction work with all video formats? 

Yes, high-quality video redaction tools support various video formats, including older and less common formats, ensuring versatility. 

How does video redaction help with DSAR requests? 

It ensures that sensitive information is effectively hidden before sharing footage in response to a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR), maintaining privacy. 

Can video redaction software be integrated with existing systems? 

Yes, many video redaction tools integrate easily with existing surveillance and security systems, streamlining operations for retailers. 

How does video redaction protect customer privacy? 

By removing identifiable information from video footage, redaction software ensures that customer privacy is maintained while complying with legal requirements.