Ombudsman Madise: Environment Agency must delete photos of people from forest surveillance cameras

Ombudsman Ülle Madise says the Environment Agency has implemented effective methods for nature monitoring, but clear rules must be established for handling photos of people who incidentally appear in forest surveillance camera footage. Madise emphasised that to protect privacy, the agency must establish procedures for processing and deleting such photos.

Ombudsman Ülle Madise has raised concerns about the Environment Agency's use of forest surveillance cameras: when a person accidentally enters the field of view of a camera installed for nature monitoring, such photos must be properly deleted.

According to Madise, the Environment Agency's nature monitoring methods are effective and help better protect the environment. However, she stressed that efficiency must not come at the expense of privacy. The agency's responsibility is to clearly regulate how to handle photos that have accidentally captured people.

The Ombudsman believes the Environment Agency should establish procedures that ensure quick identification and deletion of such images, so that movement data and personal information of individuals do not enter state possession without justification. This particularly affects people moving through forests who may not be aware that nature monitoring cameras are recording them.