Where access control and fences stop working

A badge reader controls who opens a door, not how many people walk through it. Holding the door for the person behind is polite and common, and it defeats the access control of a server room, a lab or a secured floor. Outside, break-ins often start with someone waiting near a fence, a back door or a gate to see whether anyone reacts.

Both show up on camera, but nobody watches the footage until something is missing.

What ProDataAI Lens detects

  • Loitering in a restricted area: a person staying in an area you draw for longer than you allow, at the hours you set, for example at a back door, a fence line or a loading bay after closing.
  • Tailgating at secured doors: more people passing a secured door than allowed per opening.
  • Door events from access control, where your system can send them: the number of people passing is checked against each door opening, without names or badge numbers.
  • Fence climbing and forced entry on the same cameras. See site and perimeter protection.

Each alert carries a snapshot and a short clip and goes to the people responsible for that door or area, such as the security team or the on-call facility manager.

Typical places

  • Server rooms, data centres and network rooms.
  • Labs, archives, pharmacies and other rooms with restricted access.
  • Staff entrances, turnstiles and secured floors in offices. See offices and corporate sites.
  • Back doors, fence lines, depots and yards after closing time.

Narrow areas, clear purpose, no identification

Lingering is normal in most places, so loitering alerts belong only in areas and at hours where nobody should be: a restricted zone, a back yard at night. Tailgating alerts concern employees who pass secured doors every day, so agree the purpose with your works council and data protection officer: protecting restricted rooms, not evaluating staff. ProDataAI Lens does not recognise faces, does not identify people and keeps no figures per person. In the UK, the ICO guidance on monitoring workers asks for the same: necessary, proportionate and transparent.

See GDPR, works council and the EU AI Act and the DPIA and works agreement checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Does tailgating detection show who followed through the door?

No. It reports that more people passed than allowed, with a snapshot and a clip, to the security team. It does not recognise faces or identify people.

Can it work with our access control system?

Where your access control system can send door events, the count is checked against each opening. Which systems can do this depends on the manufacturer, so we check it for your site.

Is loitering detection allowed in Europe and the UK?

It can be, when it is limited to restricted areas and hours with a documented security purpose, signage and short retention. Watching people lingering in public or open areas in general is not what it is for.

Site and perimeter protectionIntrusion into areas you draw, after hours, with the clip attached.Offices and corporate sitesSecured doors and server rooms, the building after hours, foyers, car parks and space use.Gate, yard and number platesVehicles counted in and out with times, number plates at entry and exit.Checklist: DPIA and works agreementWhat to cover in the DPIA and the works agreement for AI video analytics.