- Posted June 28, 2021
- Media Releases
The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) welcomes the review by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security into the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) by the NZSIS.
The review focuses on current access by the NZSIS to a CCTV network in a New Zealand city centre.
The review finds that the current use of CCTV by the NZSIS is lawful and conducted in a responsible and proper manner that is targeted.
The review explains how CCTV is only used to support specific surveillance operations, primarily involving the tracking and observation of a deployed surveillance team and its target. The CCTV network can also be used to mitigate health and safety risks, or forewarn a surveillance team of any threats.
The Inspector-General makes four recommendations to strengthen the current policies, practices and legal basis which underpins NZSIS’s use of CCTV.
All the recommendations have been accepted in principle, and work to address them is already underway.
“The Inspector-General’s review will help the NZSIS continue its mission to keep New Zealand safe,” says NZSIS Director-General of Security Rebecca Kitteridge.
“The Inspector-General notes that access to CCTV is an obvious and important tool for intelligence agencies, just as it is for law enforcement.
“The independent oversight of this review gives us important guidance to strengthen our current policies, as well as reassuring the public that the NZSIS uses CCTV in a lawful, responsible and proper manner.
“The NZSIS has worked closely with the Inspector-General and the Privacy Commissioner regarding our access to CCTV, and the Inspector-General notes this has been done in a meaningful and constructive way.
“We are absolutely committed to continuing this approach as we look to use the tools which can support our mission to keep New Zealand safe.
“I think that the public would expect that the NZSIS can access tools such as CCTV when we are dealing with individuals of national security concern.
“I welcome the Inspector-General’s support for this, and the acknowledgement that we are using CCTV in a lawful way which also upholds our human rights and privacy obligations,” says Ms Kitteridge.