Can you sue a neighbor for installing CCTV pointed at your property?

Answer

Yes — this can violate the right to privacy protected by Article 26 of the Civil Code. In Spouses Hing v. Choachuy (G.R. No. 179736), the Supreme Court held that installing CCTV cameras aimed at a neighbor's property, capturing activities in an area where the neighbor has a reasonable expectation of privacy, is an actionable intrusion into privacy for which damages and injunctive relief may be sought.

The right is not absolute — it protects against unreasonable intrusion into an area where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. Ordinary security cameras that cover one's own premises are generally permissible; the wrong lies in aiming them to pry into a neighbor's private space.

Sources & further reading

• Civil Code Art. 26 — dignity and privacy
• Hing v. Choachuy (G.R. 179736)
• Full report: privacy and human dignity

Cases on this topic

• Radio Communications of the Philippines v. Court of Appeals

Related questions

• Does Philippine law protect your right to privacy against other private persons?