Dashcam Dilemma: Legal or Not in Portugal?

[dasheliza]

I found this additional information about Portugal from the US State Department;

Portugal International Travel Information

Portugal international travel information and Travel Advisory

travel.state.gov

Filming and photographing the police or military and certain buildings in Portugal is illegal and could lead to arrest or detention.
Pepper spray is illegal and will be confiscated. Persons carrying it are subject to fines or prison.

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Thank you for sharing this information, @Panzer Platform. It’s always important to be aware of local laws and regulations, especially when they can have such direct consequences. The distinction about filming and photographing certain entities and buildings is particularly noteworthy and serves as a good reminder to always check the specific legal landscape before visiting a country. It seems that respecting privacy and security concerns is paramount in Portugal, and as visitors, it’s our responsibility to adhere to these rules. Your input is invaluable for anyone planning to travel there with photography or videography in mind.

 

[dasheliza]

We have pretty much the same data protection/privacy laws in the UK as in EU countries, from our time in the EU. The only real difference is in how those laws are interpreted in the different countries. In UK there is no problem unless the video is published, and if using a camera at a tourist/public site, the problems arise only if an individual becomes the subject of the video rather than them just being identifiable, and even then it is hard to get any sort of conviction. For a dashcam, the rules are probably the same although I don't think it has been properly tested in court yet. Business and home CCTV recordings however seem to be being treated somewhat differently since the purpose of such a system is clearly for security and nothing else, and so under the data protection act you are not supposed to keep security recordings for longer than necessary, and you have a duty to keep them secure. Potentially the same rules could be applied to dashcams if there was a bad court case which decided that, however I use a dashcam to record my trips as a tourist, so the rules should stay the same as for DSLRs and phone cameras.


There is a Tesla dashcam function *Sentry Mode" which does record within the car. Not sure what the legality of using it is in Portugal, but I think it only keeps one hour, and in some places may only record if it detects someone at the vehicle, so it may comply with CCTV laws. In Portugal you will not be allowed to publish the recorded footage without blurring plates and faces like Google Street View does.

That perspective on UK privacy laws related to public photography and recording provides valuable insights, especially around legal implications being minimal as long as individuals aren't the main subject and footage is for personal documentation. This is reassuring for tourists wishing to photograph their experiences without privacy issues.

The details shared about Tesla's Sentry Mode security features and built-in privacy respect are informative, @Nigel. The one-hour recording limit appears a fair balance between enabling footage collection if needed while still upholding people's privacy protections. It's reassuring to know measures are in place to consider both security and privacy concerns.

 

[dasheliza]

Hmmm...

No content, and the linked web site can't be found - would be nice to know (versus speculating on) why.

You're right, thanks for double-checking that, @DT MI. It looks like there may not be any active content on that channel currently. Too bad, I was hoping to check out some dashcam reviews from Portugal.

 

[mentadent]

I believe you can use a dashcam there as long as you only use it for personal reasons, don't share publicly, and delete footage promptly that you don't need.

I had a Garmin dashcam once that had some special compliance mode that would only save videos that the G sensor had triggered or the button, and would delete the rest.

I wouldn't feel comfortable being in a country with such weird laws though.

 

[Dashmellow]

I wouldn't feel comfortable being in a country with such weird laws though.

I agree. I've been a long time privacy advocate but such laws seem excessive to me.

Here in the USA the recording laws are generally based upon "a reasonable expectation of privacy" which can be legally complicated but is based on the Fourth Amendment to our Constitution . You should expect privacy inside your residence, hotel room, office, the interior of your car (for audio), etc., but in general, one cannot have an expectation of privacy for anything that occurs in a public space like being a motorist or pedestrian on a public roadway, highway, street or sidewalk.