Belgium’s Secretary of State for the Protection of Private Life, Philippe De Backer, has expressed concern at the illegal streaming of private security camera footage on the Russian website Insecam.org, which means hundreds of Belgians could be spied on, Het Laatste Nieuws and De Morgen newspapers reported on Friday.
“This is unacceptable; the website has taken footage that does not belong to it. It’s piracy,” said De Backer, adding that the Computer Crime Unit of the Federal Police will be asked to conduct an investigation.
Insecam.org is a gold mine for thieves and kidnappers who can observe the habits of potential victims through the footage streamed via the site. The images, which come from private security cameras, show about a hundred locations in Belgium, such as private gardens, cafes, and offices.
The site’s manager maintains that the footage is published legally, but this is untrue. “These practices are illegal because the people in the footage have not given any authorization,” says Caroline De Geest of the Commission for the Protection of Private Life. Her commission is advising owners of security cameras to make them more secure.
(Source: Belga)
