Andorra Data Agency Halts Canillo's Unauthorized Body Camera Trial

Andorra's Data Protection Agency (APDA) has formally notified Canillo parish council to stop using mobile video surveillance cameras on traffic agents and has opened an inspection procedure, demanding full details on their deployment.

The agency contacted Canillo on Monday, stressing that the devices lack legal backing without prior national approval. APDA declined to comment further on the matter. The parish began a pilot test on July 17 during its Festa Major, fitting chest-mounted cameras on agents to assess performance in crowds. Council leaders claimed the initiative drew on the regulation for mobile video surveillance devices on traffic agents, approved by Canillo on January 22 and effective from February 5 after publication in the BOPA.

However, Article 7 of the regulation's authorization chapter requires advance clearance from the Interior Ministry for any use by parish traffic agents—a step no parish, including Canillo, had secured as of July 17. The text makes no allowance for exceptional pilot tests. APDA's general information note on July 23 reiterated that public-space recording systems need Interior Ministry authorization and a binding report from the national video surveillance commission.

All parishes have purchased the cameras and adopted the uniform regulation, but await Interior's go-ahead to proceed. Citizen security patrols have carried such devices for nine years, while traffic agents' calls for similar equipment were included in the 2023 Traffic Agents Law.

Canillo officials, including Jordi Alcobé and Marc Casal, had endorsed the trial's outcomes and urged others to follow suit, though Escaldes-Engordany's Rosa Gili rejected it pending national video surveillance commission approval. A parish source noted delays in securing permissions. APDA's move serves as a precaution amid its review, which cannot result in direct fines for public bodies but may lead to reprimands. No final ruling has been issued.