Surveillance cameras: reconciling security and privacy protection
Reading time: 3 min
Surveillance cameras are now ubiquitous, which raises the question of how to protect the individual’s right to privacy. To enhance in-store security while safeguarding personal data, Axians Netherlands has deployed a solution that achieves both in Dutch supermarkets: AI-based theft-detection software from the French company Veesion.
Price increases in recent years have contributed to a marked increase in shoplifting. In 2022, a report from the European Alliance for Safe Retail (EARS) found that the cost of retail crime in Europe had risen by 13% to €16.6 billion.
In light of this situation, many large retailers are seeking innovative solutions to combat theft from their stores, to reduce theft in their stores while respecting data protection obligations under the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
In our increasingly monitored environment, surveillance cameras are rapidly becoming ubiquitous. But this heightened surveillance raises questions about the protection of individual privacy.
The French startup Veesion offers a powerful response to this challenge. Since 2018, it has developed AI-based gesture-recognition software designed to detect suspicious behavior and potential theft in real time, while prioritizing privacy protection. The software uses the store’s existing video surveillance infrastructure and leverages the latest advances in deep learning.
Security cameras and data privacy are not mutually exclusive.
Think of Veesion as an extra pair of eyes: always alert, always learning – but always at the service of the humans on the ground.
Now used in thousands of supermarkets around the world, this tool provides real-time detection, which is essential today.
Axians, the VINCI Energies ICT brand, has been in partnership with Veesion since early 2024 and distributes its solution across the Benelux countries, with around a hundred installations completed to date.
No facial recognition, no biometric tracking
Beyond its technical performance, Veesion’s technology was designed with privacy in mind. It does not use facial recognition or biometric identification – only anonymized gesture analysis.
Each deployment includes a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), identifying potential privacy risks and outlining the necessary safeguards to reduce or eliminate them. The system only sends alerts to store managers, with no automated decision-making.
Businesses using the Veesion solution are required to inform employees, customers and visitors of the presence and purpose of the cameras, including by displaying signage. In addition, camera images are only retained for 30 days, unless a theft or other incident requires a longer retention period for legal reasons.
By minimizing the use of personal data, ensuring transparency, and enabling human review of alerts, Veesion helps retailers align their security practices with core principles of the GDPR – without compromising efficiency.
09/15/2025
