Editing Hidden camera (section)

==Legal issues==

=== South Korea ===
{{main|Molka}}

In South Korea, hidden cameras (abbreviated to ''Molka'' in Korean) proliferated in the 2010s and enabled the spread of voyeuristic images and videos. The term ''Molka'' can refer to both the actual cameras as well as the footage posted online.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gibson |first=Jenna |title=K-Pop's Sexual Assault Scandal Is the Tip of the Iceberg |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/21/k-pops-sexual-assault-scandal-is-the-tip-of-the-iceberg/ |access-date=2019-06-08 |website=Foreign Policy |date=21 March 2019 |archive-date=2019-03-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330065939/https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/21/k-pops-sexual-assault-scandal-is-the-tip-of-the-iceberg/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Christian |first1=Aaron |title=CCTV Camera Installation |url=https://okami.co.th/%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3/%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B1%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A5%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%94/ |access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>

=== United Kingdom ===
The use of hidden cameras is generally permitted under UK law, if used in a legal manner and towards legitimate ends. Individuals may use covert surveillance in their own home, in the workplace for [[employee monitoring]], outside of a domestic or commercial property for security purposes and in security situations where there may be a need to do so. There are a number of laws under the [[Data Protection Act 2018|Data Protection Act]] and [[Human Rights Act 1998|Human Rights Acts]] that may affect the use of hidden cameras.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Francis |first=Harry |title=Are Workplace Security Cameras Legal |url=https://www.gotobuuy.com/blog/post/Are-Workplace-Security-Cameras-Legal |access-date=2018-10-24 |publisher=[[Employee Monitoring]]}}{{dead link|date=February 2024|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

In any type of covert surveillance, footage should only be used for the purpose for which it has been taken, which must be a legitimate security reason. The person in possession of the footage is responsible for its use, and must only retain footage for as long as it is reasonably needed. It is not permitted to release the footage to third parties except when there is a legal necessity.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

It is illegal under UK law to deploy covert cameras in areas where individuals would have an expectation of privacy, such as bathrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms. It is also illegal to place hidden cameras in someone else's home or on someone else's property.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

=== United States ===
In the United States, the purchase, ownership, and use of hidden cameras and nanny cams is generally considered legal in all 50 states. However, [[Title 18 of the United States Code|U.S. Code Title 18]], Chapter 119, Section 2512 prohibits the interception of oral communication by "surreptitious manner" such as a hidden recording device, and so most hidden video cameras are not available with audio recording.<ref>[[Title 18 of the United States Code|U.S. Code Title 18]], Chapter 119, Section 2512</ref> Additionally, it is [[Telephone call recording laws#United States|illegal in 13 states]] to record audio without express or written consent of the nanny being recorded. Despite this, some hidden cameras are still sold in the United States with audio recording capabilities, though their use is illegal and their recordings cannot legally be used as evidence.{{fact|date=May 2023}}