Businesses Will Soon Be Required to Install 24/7 Surveillance Systems on Their Premises

The press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs informs that Ruslan Marandyan, head of the legal department of the Ministry, presented a new legislative initiative regarding the provision of surveillance systems on the premises of economic entities during a press conference today.

The legislative initiative pertains to the legal regulation of the installation of surveillance systems by economic entities in the context of ensuring public safety. Specifically:

• Businesses will be obliged to secure the entrance of buildings and all sides with high-quality surveillance systems capable of operating in 24/7 mode and retaining the footage for at least 15 days.
• “The selection of businesses relates to the concept of a 'Smart City.' With the increasing level of urbanization, this model started to be applied, the main goal of which is to improve the quality of life for the public,” emphasized Marandyan.
• Businesses will also be required to equip their premises with surveillance systems in a way that ensures the entrance(s) of the building, as well as a section at least 2 meters wide, are covered by the monitored area.
• After the law comes into effect, businesses will be granted a one-year period to equip their buildings with the appropriate surveillance systems. Moreover, the law will come into force on the date when the relevant government decision is adopted, which is expected to occur within 18 months following the official publication of the law.

“The additional outcome and value of this project will be high. There will be no disproportionate interference with the right to the inviolability of private and family life. When initiating the legislative regulation, the experience of the European Court of Human Rights has been studied,” stated Ruslan Marandyan.

According to Marandyan, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will not be interested in any individual as long as there is no operational interest, and the data cannot be transferred to third parties.

“Data processing through surveillance systems by the Ministry can be carried out for the purpose of preventing, deterring, and identifying violations, for discovering individuals avoiding investigation or punishment, for finding property acquired through criminal means, for locating missing citizens and tracking down wanted vehicles, as well as for maintaining public order and safety,” he noted, clarifying that in other cases, obtaining data in this manner would be considered a violation.