At an executive meeting of southwest China's Chongqing municipal government on Monday, China's first local provision on the management of security cameras to protect citizen's privacy and commercially sensitive information was passed. 

The provision gives special attention to the protection of citizen's rights of privacy including photography and commercial aspects of business in the municipality which are under threat because of the wide use of such cameras. The provision advises those with security cameras to strictly manage their systems and the staff using them. The video or images captured on cameras should not be bought or sold, distributed or played illegally.

According to a People's Daily report, Chongqing will install security cameras at all arterial roads and main crossings, entrances, exits and main passages of key public security buildings and entertainment venues. The municipal public security bureau will supervise the installation, use and management of the cameras.

The majority of security cameras in use at present are installed individually by departments or companies without any unified standards. The provision requires that cameras be registered with local public security authorities within 30 days of installation. These authorities are obligated to optimize the use of such equipment on government buildings and get access to those non-government cameras for public security purposes.

(China.org.cn by Zhang Yunxing, July 12, 2006)