Serbian Airport Had Unlimited Access to Surveillance

The Serbian Commissioner for Personal Data Protection found that Belgrade Airport Ltd allowed unlimited access to its surveillance cameras. The company running Nikola Tesla Airport did not have necessary agreements in place for access by Serbia's border police, customs, and intelligence agency.

Inspection Findings

The inspection was launched after a tabloid published screenshots from the airport's surveillance cameras showing activist Nikola Ristic. The Commissioner's office said the company violated the Law on Personal Data Protection by not regulating the responsibility of each agency for compliance with the law. The fact that the airport had no agreements or written procedures in place meant the Commissioner could not establish who leaked Ristic's photos.

Agreements and Regulations

In May last year, the Commissioner told the airport to sign agreements with all three institutions and agencies that access video surveillance. By April this year, Belgrade Airport had informed the Commissioner that it had only signed an agreement with the intelligence agency, BIA. The company later told BIRN that all the agreements were now signed.

Key points

• The Serbian Commissioner for Personal Data Protection found that Belgrade Airport Ltd allowed unlimited access to its surveillance cameras.
• The company did not have necessary agreements in place for access by Serbia's border police, customs, and intelligence agency.
• The inspection was launched after a tabloid published screenshots from the airport's surveillance cameras showing activist Nikola Ristic.
• The Commissioner told the airport to sign agreements with all three institutions and agencies that access video surveillance in May last year.
• Belgrade Airport has been owned by France's Vinci since March 2018.