Video surveillance: your rights regarding security cameras
If a camera records you in a way that makes you identifiable, that footage counts as personal data under Law N° 29733. You can ask the entity that controls the camera for access or deletion, and complain to the ANPD if they ignore you.
VerificationPartly verifiedSee the sources ↓
- 4sources cited
- 3read at the official source
- 2official institutions
Peruvian State portal (gob.pe) · SMV
Checked 1 Oct 2026Next review 21 Dec 2026
What is still unverifiedThe data subject rights described here (access and rectification/cancellation) are now sourced directly from articles 19 and 20 of Law N.° 29733, read directly — see the dedicated ARCO rights page for the complete set of six rights, deadlines, and how to complain. What remains unconfirmed for this specific video-surveillance topic: (1) whether there is a specific, legally mandatory retention period for footage (this page explains the general proportionality principle, not a verified number of days); (2) whether a visible 'monitored by security cameras' sign is a requirement explicitly demanded by the law or regulation, or simply recommended good practice; (3) the exact ANPD fine amounts in UIT units (one secondary source gives figures in soles, but I could not reliably convert them to UIT or confirm them against an official source, so no fine table is included); and (4) the precise extent to which Law 29733's framework applies equally to municipal serenazgo cameras and to private business cameras. Readers should verify these specific points with the ANPD or a lawyer before making important legal decisions.
Why does a security camera give me legal rights?
When a camera captures your face or other features that make you identifiable, that recording stops being “just a video” and becomes personal data. In Peru, the processing of personal data is regulated by Law N° 29733, the Personal Data Protection Law, and its regulation (D.S. N° 003-2013-JUS). This applies both to a corner store or restaurant’s cameras and to the cameras your building’s owners’ association installs. The law defines personal data as any information about a natural person that identifies them or makes them identifiable (Article 2, subsection 4); that definition does not name images or video specifically, so treating a recording that identifies you as personal data is an application of the rule, not its literal text.
That means the business or building that installs the camera — the so-called “data controller” — has obligations toward you, and you have rights over that footage, even if you’re not a customer or resident of the place.
What can you demand about footage showing you?
The law recognizes several rights over your own personal data, including images captured through video surveillance:
- Right of access: ask to see, or be told whether, footage showing you exists.
- Right of cancellation: ask for that footage to be deleted once there is no longer a legitimate reason to keep it.
- Right of opposition: object to a use of the footage other than security (for example, if it is shared on social media).
You can submit these requests directly to the business or building, in writing, and keep a dated copy of what you submitted. This research could not confirm, from official sources, an exact legal deadline for how long businesses must (or may) keep footage; what is a general principle of the data protection system is that information should not be kept longer than necessary for the security purpose that justified installing the camera.
What if nobody warns you that there are cameras?
It is common practice — and highly advisable — for businesses to post a visible sign such as “area monitored by security cameras.” However, this research could not confirm, from official sources, whether that sign is a requirement explicitly demanded by the law or its regulation, or simply a good transparency practice. If you have doubts about a specific case, it’s worth checking directly with the ANPD.
What to do if you think you’re being filmed improperly or your image was published without permission
If you believe a camera is recording you abusively, or that your image was shared (for example, a video of an argument at a store, posted on social media without your consent), you have two paths that are not mutually exclusive:
- Administrative route: file a complaint with the National Personal Data Protection Authority (ANPD), the body in charge of overseeing compliance with Law N° 29733.
- Civil route: consult a lawyer about a possible claim for violation of your right to your own image, especially if there was public dissemination and concrete harm.
If the matter also involves discrimination — for example, if you were denied entry to a venue and your image was also shared — it may help to also review the information on discrimination and the right of admission.
Private business cameras vs. municipal (serenazgo) cameras
Cameras belonging to a private business or building differ, in origin and stated purpose, from municipal cameras operated by serenazgo for public safety purposes. This research could not precisely confirm, from official sources, the extent to which both are governed by exactly the same rules under Law N° 29733, or whether public cameras follow a separate framework. We are leaving this flagged as an unresolved point on this page.
If the controller does not respond to your request
If the business, building, or entity does not respond to your access or cancellation request, or denies it without reasonable justification, you can file a formal complaint with the ANPD. If the case involves a public entity (for example, a municipality), it may also help to file a complaint with the Ombudsman as an additional oversight channel.
How to file
- Identify who controls the cameraIt could be a business, a building's owners' association, or the municipality (serenazgo). That entity is the 'data controller' you need to send your request to.
- Submit a written access or deletion requestAsk in writing (letter, email, or form) to see the footage showing you, or to have it deleted, citing your right of access and cancellation under Law N° 29733. Keep a dated copy of your request.
- Wait for the controller's responseIf the business or building does not respond, or denies your request without reasonable justification, you can escalate the complaint to the data protection authority.
- File a complaint with the National Personal Data Protection Authority (ANPD)The ANPD, under Peru's Ministry of Justice sector, handles complaints related to the misuse of personal data, including images captured through video surveillance.
- Consider a civil claim if your image was published without consentIf the footage was shared (for example on social media) without your consent and caused you harm, you can consult a lawyer about a civil claim for violation of your right to your own image, in addition to the administrative complaint with the ANPD.
What people fail to ask in time
Do municipal serenazgo cameras follow the same rules as a private business's cameras?
Find out before it matters →What most people believe — and what the law says
If the camera is visible, the business owner can use the footage however they want.
A visible camera does not give the controller unlimited freedom. The footage is still personal data if it identifies you, and its use must respect the purpose the camera was installed for (usually security), not any other purpose such as publicly sharing it without your consent.
Only the police or a judge can order footage of me to be deleted.
You can directly ask the controller (business, building) to delete footage showing you, by exercising your right of cancellation. Only if they fail to address your request would it make sense to go to the ANPD or, in cases of improper publication, to court.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be a customer of the business to complain about a camera that recorded me?
No. You have rights over a recording that identifies you even if you are not a customer or resident of the place where the camera is installed, because Law N° 29733 protects that image as your personal data regardless of your relationship with the business or building.
How long can a company keep its security camera recordings?
This investigation could not confirm an exact, legally mandatory retention period. What is a general principle of the data protection system is that information should not be kept longer than necessary for the security purpose that justified installing the camera.
Is a business required to post a 'monitored by security cameras' notice?
It could not be confirmed whether such a notice is a requirement explicitly demanded by Law N° 29733 or its regulations, or simply a recommended transparency practice. If you have doubts about a specific case, it is worth checking directly with the ANPD.
What can I do if someone posts a video of me from a security camera on social media?
You can exercise your right to object against the party responsible for using the recording for a purpose other than security, file a complaint with the ANPD, and consult a lawyer about a civil claim for harm to your right to your own image if you suffered concrete damage.
The exact law
Ley N° 29733, Ley de Protección de Datos PersonalesArticle 2, subsection 4 (definition of personal data)read
Peru's Personal Data Protection Law
«4. Datos personales: Toda información sobre una persona natural que la identifica o la hace identificable a través de medios que pueden ser razonablemente utilizados.»
Directiva N.° 01-2020-JUS/DGTAIPD, approved by Resolución Directoral N.° 02-2020-JUS/DGTAIPDSubsection 5.8 (specific rule on images and voice captured by video-surveillance systems)unread
Directive on personal data processing through video-surveillance systems
«Las imágenes y las voces de una persona constituyen datos personales, ya que permiten identificar o hacer identificable a una persona natural a través de medios que pueden ser razonablemente utilizados.»
Ley N.° 29733, Ley de Protección de Datos PersonalesArtículo 19read
Right of access of the data subject
«El titular de datos personales tiene derecho a obtener la información que sobre sí mismo sea objeto de tratamiento en bancos de datos de administración pública o privada.»
↳Artículo 20read
Right to update, include, rectify and suppress
«El titular de datos personales tiene derecho a la actualización, inclusión, rectificación y supresión de sus datos personales materia de tratamiento, cuando estos sean parcial o totalmente inexactos, incompletos, cuando se hubiere advertido omisión, error o falsedad, cuando hayan dejado de ser necesarios o pertinentes a la finalidad para la cual hayan sido recopilados o cuando hubiera vencido el plazo establecido para su tratamiento.»
Also searched as: Can a business record me without telling me? · Can I request a copy of footage that shows me? · How long can a company keep camera recordings? · What can I do if someone publishes a video of me without my permission? · Do cameras in my building or neighborhood need any special authorization?
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