Netizens debate whether installing CCTV in helpers’ rooms crosses a line
A Facebook post questioning whether it is acceptable to install a CCTV inside a domestic helper’s room has sparked debate over privacy and home security.
On July 12, user Fuji Al Kula Faurasyidi raised the question in the Complaint Singapore Facebook group.
Accompanying the post was a photo of a security camera, but it is unclear whether Fuji is a domestic helper herself and whether the camera was installed in her room.
The post was captioned: “The line between security and privacy is a fine one. Is having CCTV in a helper’s room reasonable, or is it going too far?”
Netizens divided over issue
The Facebook post garnered more than 280 likes and 310 comments.
Many netizens felt that installing a camera inside a helper’s room was “too much”.
“It’s going too far,” one user wrote, “Security is important but having CCTV in the helper’s room is not right.”
“How would you feel if someone placed CCTV in your bedroom? You like being watched 24/7/365?” another commenter asked.
One netizen suggested that installing the camera outside the room would be sufficient.
However, others argued that the context matters, particularly if the helper shares a space with vulnerable family members.
One user shared that their helper sleeps in the children’s playroom. They explained that the CCTV is switched off while she sleeps alone at night and turned back on in the morning.
“I wouldn’t switch it off if my kids are sleeping there,” they said, adding that the camera should be angled towards the children so the helper can sleep privately on the other side of the room.
Another netizen added: “For me it’s fine, especially if you’re sleeping with a baby, child, or elderly, for security purposes for both parties.”
Stomp has reached out to Fuji Al Kula Faurasyidi for comment.
Employers must disclose cameras’ locations: MOM
According to the Ministry of Manpower’s guidelines, employers who install video recording devices at home must inform their migrant domestic worker of their locations.
The ministry also states that cameras must not be installed in areas that compromise a worker’s privacy and modesty, such as where she sleeps, changes clothes, or uses the bathroom.
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