When a childcare service introduces CCTV or AI-assisted supervision, families understandably want to know what is being recorded, who can see it, and whether their child is being identified. Clear, upfront communication builds trust and helps meet obligations under the Privacy Act and relevant state surveillance laws.
This guide explains what to tell parents about CCTV use, including sample enrolment notice wording, and sets out exactly what AI supervision does and does not do with faces and footage.
What families are entitled to know
Under the Australian Privacy Principles, organisations collecting personal information, including video of identifiable individuals, should tell people what is being collected, why, and how it will be used, stored and disposed of. Several states also have specific surveillance device or workplace surveillance laws that affect where cameras can be used and how notice must be given.
In practice, this means your enrolment pack and service policies should include plain-language information about CCTV, not just a line buried in a long terms document. Families should be told where cameras are located, what they are used for, and who can access footage.
What CCTV supervision does and does not do
It's important that parents understand the specific technology being used, rather than assuming all camera systems work the same way. CCTV supervision used for general safety monitoring does not recognise or identify anyone. Face recognition is intentionally switched off for this purpose, so the system detects people, movement and safety events, not individual identities.
Where a snapshot is generated as part of a safety alert, faces are blurred in that snapshot. This is different from an optional Authorised Pickup module, which some services use separately at the point of collection, where adults who choose to opt in can be verified against an authorised pickup list; children are never enrolled or identified by that module either.
- CCTV supervision does not recognise or identify children or staff
- Face recognition is switched off for general supervision
- Faces are blurred in any safety alert snapshots
- Authorised Pickup verification is a separate, optional, consent-based module for adults only
No cameras in private areas, and who can view footage
Cameras should never be placed in toilets, nappy change areas or other private spaces. Access to footage should be limited to authorised staff for defined purposes, such as reviewing a specific incident, and services should be able to explain who has access and under what circumstances footage might be shared, for example with police or the regulatory authority if required.
Retention periods should be set out in your policy and kept no longer than necessary for the stated purpose, consistent with your obligations under the Privacy Act and any applicable state law.
Sample enrolment notice paragraph
You can adapt the following paragraph for your enrolment pack or family handbook:
"Our service uses CCTV supervision in shared indoor and outdoor areas to support educator supervision. This system does not use facial recognition and does not identify individual children or staff; it detects general safety events, such as a gate being left open, so educators can respond quickly. Faces are blurred in any snapshot generated by a safety alert. Cameras are not installed in toilets, nappy change areas or other private spaces. Footage is stored securely and access is limited to authorised staff. Some services also offer an optional, consent-based Authorised Pickup check for collecting adults, which families may choose to opt into separately; this does not involve enrolling or identifying children."
You should review this wording with your own privacy and legal advisers to ensure it reflects your specific setup and any state-specific surveillance obligations before publishing it.
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General information only, not legal advice. Check current requirements with your state or territory regulatory authority.