Request Your CCTV Footage
Photograph a CCTV camera, identify the operator, and send a legally correct Subject Access Request — all from your phone.
About this app
Article 15 UK GDPR gives you the right to access personal data held about you — including CCTV footage captured in a public or semi-public place.
CCTV footage is routinely overwritten within 7–31 days. The data controller must respond within one calendar month of your request.
Subject access requests are free unless they are manifestly unfounded or excessive.
Photograph the Camera
Point your phone at the CCTV camera — ideally its signage too. Your location is captured at the same moment as timestamped evidence that you were present and likely recorded.
Who Owns This Camera?
Tap a match from the registry, or Save to Log now and identify the operator later.
Enter details manually
Incident Details
These help the data controller locate your footage quickly. Date and time are pre-filled from your photo — adjust if needed.
Your Letter
Review and edit the letter below. Your personal details are pre-filled from My Details — you can change anything before sending.
Help others — contribute camera details to registry
Share just the camera's location and operator details so others in the same situation can find them more quickly. No personal information is included. Contributions are reviewed before going live.
My Log
No incidents captured yet.
Tap Capture Incident on the Home tab when you spot a CCTV camera.
My Details
Stored on this device only — never sent to any server. Your name and email pre-fill the SAR letter. No home address is collected or included — your email is legally sufficient contact information.
Consider using a dedicated address for SARs so you don't hand your everyday inbox to organisations you may be in dispute with. Free options: SimpleLogin, addy.io, or a free Proton Mail account.
Camera Registry
Known cameras and their data controllers, contributed by the community. When you photograph a camera, the app searches this registry automatically by GPS — you rarely need to look here manually.
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Under Article 15 of the UK GDPR and Section 45 of the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to request a copy of any personal data held about you — including CCTV footage in which you appear.
This right applies whether the camera is operated by a business, a local authority, a housing association, a pub, a shop, or any other organisation. Private individuals operating cameras that capture public areas are also covered in most circumstances.
The data controller must respond within one calendar month and cannot charge a fee for a standard request. If the footage has already been overwritten, they must confirm this in writing.
Most CCTV systems overwrite footage automatically after 7 to 31 days, sometimes sooner. Send your request as soon as possible after the incident.
The photograph you take with this app creates a timestamped record of your presence at the camera's location. Keep that photo — along with a copy of your sent email — as evidence of your request.
Your request just needs to give the controller enough information to find you in the footage:
- The date, time and location of the incident
- A description of your appearance on the day
- An email address for their response
You do not need to give your home address or prove your identity with documents.
Consider using a dedicated email address for SARs so you don't hand your everyday inbox to organisations you may be in dispute with. Free options include SimpleLogin, addy.io (both create private aliases that forward to your real inbox), or a free Proton Mail account kept separate from your everyday email.
A controller can only refuse if the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive — a specific, evidence-backed request for footage of yourself is neither. If they refuse without valid reason, or fail to respond within a month, you can complain to the ICO.
You can also apply to the court for an order compelling disclosure, though an ICO complaint is usually the faster route.
Make an ICO Complaint ICO Guidance on SARsYour name and email address are stored on this device only, in your browser's local storage. They are never transmitted anywhere.
Your letter is sent by your own email app — this app never touches it after handing it over. Your email provider's sent folder is your record.
The GPS coordinates used to search the camera registry are used in-session only and are not stored or transmitted with any identifying information.
The camera registry itself contains only factual, publicly available information: operator names, ICO registration numbers, and DPO contact details. No user data is ever recorded there.
Known cameras and their data controllers are stored in a shared registry. When you photograph a camera the app searches it automatically by GPS — you don't need to look anything up. All contributions are reviewed before publication. Use the Contribute button at the end of a request to submit a camera you've encountered.
CCTV SAR v1.0 · Built for UK users ·
Open source: github.com/idltd/CCTV-Log
Not legal advice. If you need legal guidance, consult a
solicitor or contact ico.org.uk.