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MCDONALD’S HAS DEFENDED the use of a hidden camera in the bathroom of a Dublin restaurant.
The primitive device, hidden in a smoke alarm in men’s bathroom in its Temple Bar branch, is pointed towards the sink area.
This leaves urinals and cubicles out of view.
A statement from McDonald’s noted that means the camera is “fully compliant with all appropriate legislation and guidelines in this area”.
Data Protection laws state that there are circumstances in which a camera can be installed in a bathroom.
“Security breaches”
“To justify use in such an area, a data controller would have to demonstrate that a pattern of security breaches had occurred in the area prior to the installation of the system such as would warrant constant electronic surveillance,” its guidelines states.
“Where such use can be justified, the CCTV cameras should never be capable of capturing images from cubicles or urinal areas.”
McDonald’s said the device was installed to “act as a deterrent to vandalism and other anti-social behaviour”, and that signage is displayed to alert customers to the presence of cameras.
The device was spotted by a reader of TheJournal.ie, who was not comfortable with its presence “in a family friendly restaurant with kids using these restrooms”.
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The ‘what can I be offended by today’ mob will love this one…
And I’ll join the “offended by your joking comment” brigade!!
“Offended” I’m usually outraged by the increasing Orwellian use of CCTV spying on us but with that said I can live with this a private business using it as a way of curbing anti social behaviour on its premises
I’ve taken offence to your comment Mr Jeremy Cash.
Clearly keeping their eyes out for the Hamburgler.
Surely bringing your kids one of these places instead of feeding them properly, is itself anti-social behaviour?
Neal:
We should all live in caves and eat sea weed.
Andrew:
That’s an interesting and radical proposal! However I would suggest some happy medium that involves parents ensuring their kids get a meal consisting of tasty – and fun – but nutritious food that gives them half a chance of getting through their forties without succumbing to death or worse, and equips them with the ability to make informed and sustainable food choices when they leave the nest.
(Cue somebody asking what’s worse than death. Use your imagination, if it’s not undernourished).
I’m assuming by that comment you’ve never set foot in such a place even as a treat? Doubtful
That’s a shite comment, Anto.
I have set foot in there many times and am morbidly obese by my own doing. Fortunately though, I am not responsible for any children.
I wouldnt feel comfortable urinating in that sink any more :-I
Compo Ireland. Don’t blame McDonalds for doing it.
It wouldn’t bother most people if it was pointed towards the sink and it will stop the “slip and fall” chancers attempting to make false injury claims (which is probably the real reason the camera was installed).
No problem with this
Was there not a staged slip trip and fall detected with one of these in a burger joint before?
Yes, that was in Supermacs and the footage showed one guy throwing soap and water on the floor and then lying in it. His accomplice then went to get help, had an ambulance called and everything! The establishment installed the cameras because of the unusually high numbers of “accidents”.
It was about 15 years ago in Galway.
One staged slip trip does not make a Summer.
It wasn’t one though, there was a series of them. That’s why they installed them.
Sorry, when they guy said “a” staged trip, I assumed that meant one.
I would love to know how many people actually wash their hands.
Surely a sign up to say that these toilets are monitored would deter any compo cheats rather than keeping it secret and then using it against them in court.
I’m all for it, I’ve nothing to hide, seriously very little at all…..!!
So you have a small one so
Once it’s clearly sign posted And its not pointed at the pee part I would not mind with today’s compo culture this eating establishment feel it its needed if you dont agree go somewhere else.
“Compo culture” I injured my back permenant damage because of dangerous work conditions I had to re skill change careers I sued I won there is nothing cultural about getting compinsated for an injury due to someone else
Glen, it’s obviously not aimed at people like you. If, for instance, the cameras recorded a genuine accident, the footage would actually help the person. The problems arose because of people throwing soap and water on the floor and then simply lying down in it (as was recorded by hidden cameras).
Glen sorry to read you have injured your back I to have a injury I am only on about the staged accidents compo.
My bad Alan I probably shouldn’t read the journal before my first cup of coffee
They’re in the majority of McD’s around the country and have been for a while…….
It might have deterred the paedofile roaming the Tallaght McDonalds toilets a while back
Big Mac please!!! Do you want a claim with that?
Mc crap food. Mc crap restaurant. Mc crap spies while you sh1t.
How did the nasty-looking long black hairs get up there?!
“Anto! ANTO! There’s hair in the smoke alarm again. Get the stick.”
Higgs and Heifers have a camera in clear view in the gents. It’s not pointed at any urinals or cubicles. I don’t see any issue with this practice at all.
The meat and two veg will probably be the next healthy promotional video that McDonald’s release..
They say it’s not pointed at urinals, but if the urinals and cubicles are full and you have to urinate in the sink? This is invasive.
Arnotts have a camera right over the urinals in the top floor gents.
Happy days.
Most places have cctv in the toilets, most shops have it in the changing rooms and i know at least one nite club where the entire premises is covered, cubicles, urinals etc
McDonalds should put a cam in their kitchen cos I’d love to see what really goes into my burger if I had the balls to eat one.
You wouldn’t see much, they’re made at the factory and arrive pretty much ready to slap onto the grill.
It’s what happens between the freezer and the grill and the grill and the wrapping that should worry you! In one place I’ve seen blocks of fat dropped, kicked across and picked up off the floor and just tossed straight into the fryer! didn’t even bother to try to brush off the dirt and hairs.
Really? I don’t know where you worked or how many hundreds of years ago, but nearly all fast food places currently use liquid oil that comes in resealable bottles inside boxes….
I think mac donalds food is terrrible
I think pineapples hidden in Chinese food is terrible.
To post the next irrelevant personal opinion on food, click Reply.
Cheese-strings are neither “cheese” nor “strings”!
If the camera is pointed at the mirror can I not look at the cubicals and urinals as well. Looks like it from the photo.
Unless people stand with their backs to the urinals and urinate outwards, it’s not really an issue.
“Every move you make i’ll be watching you “
The real story behind those lyrics are weirder than watching somebody in the toilet…
If someone’s that bored they want to watch me taking a piss…..go for it….no touching though
If it’s all above board, then why does it need to be (badly!) concealed? Surely a more recognisable camera is fine so long as it is pointed in the appropriate direction?
If they’ve tried to make it look like a smoke detector, then they’re attempting to hide it. I find that fact infinitely more worrying than the presence of a camera in the first place.
So you can take a bath in macdonalds can you? Get it right – it’s NOT a bathroom it’s a toilet.
Happy meal for someone
I would be more concerned about the hair sticking out of the smoke alarm !!
Hoggs
It’s not hair in the smoke alarm, it’s obviously something they’ve used to prop the camera up.
What’s more worrying is that a fire alarm with a camera in it probably isn’t very functional.
The camera needs to be hidden, if people knew it was there and where it was pointed, then surely they’d make sure their “accident” happened in a blind spot…
It’s a shot place so why not?
Source: TheJournal.ie" title="">
Source: TheJournal.ie" title="">
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