The Art of Discretion: Best Practices for using Spy Gear Ethically

With surveillance and GPS technology getting easier to obtain and easier to use, more and more people are making use of personal surveillance and GPS gear than ever before. With this increased proliferation of devices questions about how to use them ethically and legally become more and more common. In today’s blog we will be looking at the best practices for using Spy Gear ethically.

Consent is Key

One simple way to consider the ethics of using a spy device is how you would feel if someone used a spy device on you, how would you feel about being recorded without your knowledge? How would you feel about having your movements secretly tracked? The simple answer is that there aren’t many people who would be happy with being secretly recorded or tracked. That is why it is crucial to obtain consent when you are planning on conducting surveillance or tracking something.

Know the laws governing surveillance

As important as it is to make sure you are using your spy gear in an ethical manner it is just as important that you use your spy gear in a legal manner. There are a great deal of laws and regulations that govern how you can use surveillance and tracking gear so if you are planning to utilize these devices in a manner that affects more than yourself it is recommended that you be familiar with those regulations.

In BC the Privacy Act gives individuals the right to sue for invasion of privacy and does include specific mention of eavesdropping and surveillance meaning that whenever you record or track someone without their knowledge you are at risk of violating the Privacy Act. Some exceptions are made when the individual being recorded consents to the surveillance, if the surveillance was necessary to the defense of a person or property or the surveillance was authorized by the courts or the surveillance is being conducted by law enforcement officers during the course of their duty to prevent, discover and investigate crime.

We hope we have been able to provide you with some useful information regarding the ethics and legality of using spy gear. If you have any questions about how to ethically use spy gear please feel free to contact us and talk to our knowledgeable staff.

The Spy Store specializes in high-quality, professional-grade, security and surveillance equipment and is the biggest store of its kind in Canada.

The Spy Store has been in business for over 20 years and has four locations, two in Vancouver, one in Surrey, BC, one in Calgary, AB, and a large online store.

If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about security or surveillance equipment, please call us at (604) 731-6662.