Background
Since the fall of 2023, the facades of the University Library and subsequently the monumental Academy building have been damaged several times by graffiti and windows of these buildings have been smashed several times. The cost of repairing this damage are substantial. Moreover, the damage to the facade of the academy building is very difficult to repair because it consists of fragile bricks.
In April 2024, after another series of substantial damages, the RUG decided to set up camera masts from BauWatch with which the aforementioned buildings will be surveillance. The purpose of this is to secure those buildings and reduce the risk of further damage. This risk is currently high due to demonstrations underway against the university's stance on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The slogans used to deface the buildings show a clear relationship to that issue. As long as this risk is high, the RUG wants to maintain camera surveillance on the academy building and the university library.
Data protection impact assessment
The cameras on the masts are focused on the front facades of the University Library and the Academy building. Also, several meters of the area in front of the facades are in view. As a result, only a small portion of the bicycle parking lot on Broerplein comes in the picture. Other parts of the square or the buildings on the square are not filmed. This results in as few people as possible being filmed. After all, the goal is to protect the university buildings.
The images from the cameras are analyzed by BauWatch using software. The software provides notifications in case of suspicious situations/movements registered on the images. The images are viewed only after such notification by a BauWatch employee, who determines how to act. Thus the doormen of the RUG can be alerted to investigate the situation or in case of obvious criminal behavior, the police can be reported. The images are also visible to a limited number of RUG employees in charge of security of the buildings. The images are retained for a maximum of 28 days after capture. The use of the camera masts is temporary and will be discontinued as soon as the risk of damage to the RUG buildings on the Broerplein is limited.
The camera surveillance is effective: since the installation of the masts, no new damages. With the above measures, the privacy impact of camera surveillance on students and employees is limited. Moreover, although the area that is being filmed may be publicly accessible, it is not for recreation etcetera. In the opinion of the RUG, the deployment of the camera masts therefore therefore meets the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity.
For more information about the cameras, please contact privacy rug.nl
