privacy is-x-legal
Is it legal to use a laser to protect privacy vs. CCTV camera?
<p>Alice has a garden that is not overlooked by any windows, but is next door to a commercial car park that has a <a href="https://previews.123rf.com/images/aonskynotlimit/aonskynotlimit1507/aonskynotlimit150700081/58340457-%E3%83%9D%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%81%AE%E5%B1%8B%E5%A4%96%E3%83%89%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E9%98%B2%E7%8A%AF%E3%82%AB%E3%83%A1%E3%83%A9.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CCTV camera on a pole</a> within a plastic hemisphere that does not allow an observer to see where the camera is pointing.  She would like to sunbathe, but is concerned she will be watched by the CCTV operator.  To prevent this she sets up a <a href="https://www.lasersafetyfacts.com/resources/Spreadsheet---laser-classes.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Class IIIa/3R laser pointer</a> located at her sunbed pointing at the camera.  Her assumption is that if the camera is not looking at her it will have no effect, but if it is it will <a href="https://ipvm.com/reports/lasers-cameras" rel="nofollow noreferrer">blind but not damage it</a>.</p>
<p>What is the legality of Alice's actions?  Any jurisdiction would be interesting.</p>

<h1>It's illegal to (temporarily) break an item</h1>
<p>The commercial car park owner may not aim the camera at Alice garden. However, even <em>if</em> it does so, breaking the camera or damaging it is still illegal - as one of the various forms of destruction/damaging of property colloquially called vandalism.</p>
<p>Do note that the very article and the clasification of laser OP links to points out that *even a low-powered &quot;pet-safe&quot; IIIb/3R laser leaves out burnt-out pixels with a pinkish surrounding. These might not be enough to prevent identification when not aiming the laser into the camera, but they are damage to the sensor. The very article <em>also</em> describes how the camera damage progresses even after exposure, possibly due to the high power lasers.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/xJQsw.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/xJQsw.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>However, even if no such damage occurs, the owner of the camera is (temporarily) deprived of its legal uses while the laser is pointed on it, which is in many jurisdictions enough to count as theft.</p>
