A bill on legalizing the use of dashcams has been submitted to the Cypriot parliament

The document proposes to officially permit the installation and use of cameras in vehicles in accordance with the provisions of the European Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) of the European Parliament and of the Council, concerning the protection of personal data.

In Cyprus, the use of dashcams is currently unregulated. The initiator of the bill is the chairman of the "Green" party, Stavros Papadouris. He points out that the devices have long been used by citizens, but a legal framework is absent, leading to uncertainty regarding the storage and use of recordings.

The draft law stipulates that the installation and use of video and/or audio recording cameras will be permitted in private and public transport vehicles. The main objectives are:

• protecting drivers in the event of an accident;

• recording traffic violations;

• determining the causes of accidents and criminal incidents;

• the possibility of providing recordings to competent authorities or insurance companies for investigation.

At the same time, clear rules for handling dashcam footage are introduced.
Public reproduction or distribution of recordings without the consent of the individuals captured in the frame, or their legal representatives, is prohibited.

In case of unlawful use of the data, administrative fines are provided for, in accordance with the European GDPR regulation and the provisions of the Cypriot law on the protection of personal data (Articles 32 and 33).

The timeline for the review and possible adoption of the bill has not yet been announced.