Authorities have no record of public camera numbers

Cyprus does not have an official registry of how many cameras are installed by public services, local government and other organisations, as there was no legislative obligation to do so, data protection commissioner Maria Christofidou said at the meeting of the House finance committee on Friday.

The matter was raised during a broader discussion on the placement of cameras in schools and stadiums, during which the commissioner noted that there is no legal obligation to maintain a registry for them.

Regarding schools, Christofidou stressed that cameras are installed only following a decision by the technical services of the education ministry and after consultation with her office.

She added that cameras were placed solely in the school’s surrounding area, not beyond it, to avoid issues related to citizens’ personal data, and that they would operate only after classes have ended.

As for stadiums, Christofidou said that so far, no applications have been submitted for approval to install cameras in any stadium.

The commissioner added that her office is responsible to approve of requests to install cameras submitted by various bodies, services, and organisation, however emphasised that not all those who installed cameras actually submitted such requests. 

Therefore, she added, even after approval is granted, there is no requirement to report whether the cameras have actually been installed.

The committee then moved on to more general topics, with Christofidou, who had only been sworn into the position in late September, stressing the improtance of data protection and highlighting her office’s commitment to addressing the challenges of the digital age. 

“The protection of personal data and transparency is not a luxury, it is an obligation but also an investment in democracy and in citizens’ trust in the rule of law (…),” she said. 

According to Christofidou, her office’s total budget for 2025 amounted to €1,034,768, but was set to increase by 34.5 per cent, to €1,391,571, in 2026.

Most of the regular expenses, €1,029,698 for 2025 and €1,370,311 for 2026, she said, were currently allocated to digital security, which in amounted to €40,000 for 2026, which amounts to €40,000 for 2026, while no funds were allocated for it in 2025.

Christofidou said the new funding is intended to cover the annual fee to the digital security authority, as per the legislation on security of networks and information systems, and added that the office’s 2026 budget reflected its need to address the increasing challenges of the digital age.