Secret recording
Secret recording must be justified by a clear public interest. It is a valuable tool for the BBC because it enables the capture of evidence or behaviour that our audiences would otherwise not see or hear. However, secret recording should normally be a method of last resort - misuse or overuse could discredit or devalue its impact.
The BBC will normally only use secret recording for the following purposes
- As an investigative tool to expose issues of public interest where:
- there is clear existing documentary or other evidence of such behaviour or of an intention to commit an offence.
- it can be shown that an open approach would be unlikely to succeed.
- the recording is necessary for evidential purposes.
- To obtain material outside the UK where a country's laws make the normal and responsible gathering of material extraordinarily difficult or impossible.
- As a method of consumer, scientific or social research in the public interest, where no other methods could naturally capture the attitudes or behaviour in question. The results should be edited to provide a fair and accurate representation of what happened, and consent obtained retrospectively, or identities obscured.
- For comedy and entertainment purposes where the secret recordings, and any deception involved, are themselves an integral part of the programme and consent obtained retrospectively, or identities obscured.
Secret recording is defined as:
- the use of hidden cameras and microphones.
- the deliberate use of audio-video equipment including long lenses, small video cameras, mobile phone cameras or radio microphones, either to conceal the equipment from targeted individuals or to give the impression of recording for purposes other than broadcasting, for example, a holiday video.
- the general use of audio-video equipment including long lenses, small video cameras, mobile phone cameras, webcams and radio microphones when people are unaware they are being recorded.
- recording phone calls for broadcast without asking permission.
- deliberately continuing a recording when the other party thinks that it has come to an end.
The following rules apply to any proposal to secretly record, whether for news, factual or comedy and entertainment purposes.
- All proposals to record secretly must be approved in advance by the relevant senior editorial figure in each Division or for Independents by the commissioning editor who may consult Editorial Policy. Each Division is responsible for maintaining these records to enable the BBC to monitor and review the use of such techniques across its output.
- A signed record must be kept of the approval process, even if the request is turned down, and secretly recorded material must be logged. This record is required even if the material gathered isn't broadcast.
- The gathering and broadcast of secretly recorded material is always a two stage process. The decision to gather is always taken separately from the decision to transmit.
- Any deception required for the purposes of obtaining material and secret recording should be the minimum necessary and proportionate to the subject matter and must be referred to the relevant senior editorial figure or for Independents to the commissioning editor.
- The re-use of secretly recorded material must be referred to a senior editorial figure or for Independents to the commissioning editor before transmission and a record kept of the decision.