After successful experiments with the national police and gendarmerie forces, the municipal police and internal security service agents of the RATP [Paris transport company] and SNCF [French national railways], body cameras may now be worn on an experimental basis by the sworn agents of transport service operators.
This mechanism will contribute to curbing the increase in verbal and physical attacks on inspectors and other transport operator sworn agents, seen in particular since the start of 2018.
In addition, until 1 July 2024 and on an experimental basis, these agents are authorized to make an audio-visual recording of their interventions on public transport, and to this end, may be equipped with body cameras provided by their employer.
The cameras used may only serve to prevent incidents, record infringements and, after being anonymized, for agent training.
All other purposes are strictly excluded and, in particular, it is prohibited to select a specific category of person from the data resulting from this processing.
Three main benefits are expected of this experiment:
- a dissuasive effect towards aggressive persons, whether those travelling without a ticket or violent people;
- a drop in the number of attacks on and uncivil behaviour towards the operator’s agents;
- the identification of those committing infringements so as to make criminal enquiries easier.
Methods of use:
The camera does not record permanently. It can be activated when a person exhibits threatening, aggressive or violent behaviour, whether physical or verbal, or is likely to do so. Users can also request the recording be started.
People must be advised orally by the agent that they are being recorded, as soon as the camera is started. Furthermore, a specific visual sign indicates that the camera is recording.
On their return from service, the agents transfer all the data recorded onto a secure computerised media. In addition to the images and sounds recorded, this data includes the date and time of the recording, the identification of the agent who was wearing the camera and the places in which the recordings were made.
Only agents authorized specifically by their employer are then authorized to access this data, and this solely within the framework of court, administrative or disciplinary procedures. The data can also constitute training material, but in this case only after anonymization, i.e. a process rendering it impossible to identify the people filmed.
On each consultation, the identity of the agent accessing the data is recorded, as is the date, time and reason for the consultation. This data is kept for three years.
The camera recordings themselves are kept for three years and are automatically deleted at the end of this period.
Rights of data subjects concerned by the audio-visual recordings
The right to object does not apply to the data from this experiment: no-one can object to their personal data being collected and then used for the purposes for which it is intended.
Nevertheless, data subjects can exercise their right of access via the transport operator. They may also exercise a right of rectification limited to just the data surrounding the audio-visual recording (date and place of recording and the identity of the person wearing the camera).
Visit the dedicated data protection policy page to find out more.