Counter surveillance is the other side of the work. People come to us because something does not add up. A former partner who knows things they should not know. A competitor who seems to anticipate every move. A vehicle that turns up in the same mirror too often. Sometimes there is a device. Sometimes the explanation is simpler and no less serious.
We provide counter surveillance in Perth and throughout Western Australia, for private clients, law firms, insurers and employers.
How we run counter surveillance in Perth
A sweep covers radio frequency detection, physical inspection of the likely concealment points, and examination of vehicles for tracking devices. Physical inspection matters as much as the electronics, because a great many devices found in real premises are not transmitting when the sweep happens. We also look at the non technical explanations, since shared accounts, retained access and family locator apps account for more apparent surveillance than hidden cameras do.
What Western Australia law means for this work
Western Australia requires two licences under the Security and Related Activities (Control) Act 1996, administered by WA Police Licensing Services. The business needs an inquiry agent’s licence under section 29 and the individual operative needs an investigator’s licence under section 30. Section 61 requires a licensed operator to carry an identity card and produce it on request to the person receiving the service, so you are entitled to ask on the spot.
Section 5 prohibits using a listening device to record or monitor a private conversation you are not a party to, with exceptions for consent of all principal parties and for one party consent where the recording is reasonably necessary to protect that party’s lawful interests.
Optical surveillance is governed by section 6 of the Surveillance Devices Act 1998, and it bites on recording or observing a private activity you are not a party to. Section 3 defines a private activity as one carried on in circumstances reasonably indicating a party wants it observed only by themselves. Activity in a public place that is not a private activity falls outside the prohibition, which is the practical foundation for surveillance work here.
Section 7 is the strictest tracking provision in the country. A tracking device may not be attached, installed, used or maintained without the express or implied consent of the person, or of the person in possession or control of the object. There is no lawful interests exception and no investigator exception. Covert vehicle tracking in Western Australia is not lawful, and anyone offering it is offering you contaminated evidence.
None of that is a formality. The rules differ genuinely between Australian jurisdictions, and evidence gathered outside them is frequently inadmissible and can expose the person who gathered it. Working inside the WA framework is what makes the result usable.
The federal statutory tort of serious invasion of privacy, which commenced on 10 June 2025 under Schedule 2 of the Privacy Act 1988, applies on top of WA law and contains no exemption for private investigators.
This is general information about how we operate, not legal advice. For advice on your circumstances, speak with your lawyer.
What you receive
You receive a written record of what was examined, what was found, and where. If a device is located we advise on preservation rather than removal, because the device itself is evidence and pulling it out of the wall tells whoever placed it that you know.
Where we work in Western Australia
The Perth metropolitan region covers thirty local government areas. Operationally that is the central corridor through Perth, Vincent, Subiaco and South Perth, the western suburbs through Nedlands, Claremont and Cottesloe, the coastal north through Stirling, Joondalup and Wanneroo, the eastern hills through Bayswater, Swan, Kalamunda and Mundaring, the south east through Canning, Gosnells and Armadale, and the south west through Melville, Fremantle, Cockburn, Kwinana and Rockingham, with Mandurah in the Peel region alongside. Beyond Perth we work the South West, Great Southern, Wheatbelt, Mid West, Goldfields and Esperance, Pilbara, Kimberley and Gascoyne regions.
Where the evidence ends up
- Magistrates Court of Western Australia. Summary crime and civil claims to $75,000, with minor cases to $10,000.
- District Court of Western Australia. Indictable crime, civil claims to $750,000, and unlimited jurisdiction for personal injury damages.
- Supreme Court of Western Australia. The General Division and the Court of Appeal.
- State Administrative Tribunal. Administrative review, including security and inquiry agent licensing decisions.
- WorkCover WA. Conciliation and Arbitration Services under the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023, which commenced on 1 July 2024.
- Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Family law is federal, so a family matter runs under Commonwealth law even though the conduct investigated is governed by WA rules.
Frequently asked questions
What do I do if I think I am being monitored right now?
Do not discuss it in the space you are worried about, and do not start searching, because both alert whoever is responsible. Contact us from a different location. If you are in a family violence situation, please also speak to a specialist support service, as there are safety considerations beyond the technical question.
Can you tell me who placed a device?
Sometimes. Devices carry SIM cards, purchase trails and configuration details that can be traced. It is not guaranteed, and we would rather set that expectation before a sweep than after it.
Do you cover regional Western Australia as well as Perth?
Yes. Perth work can generally be mobilised faster and at lower cost. Regional work carries travel time and expense, and we will tell you honestly whether the likely result justifies it before you commit.
Talk to us about a WA matter
Every enquiry starts with a confidential conversation about what you actually need, and sometimes that conversation ends with us saying an investigation is not warranted. Call 1300 792 283 or get in touch for a free consultation and a written quote before any work begins.
See also Counter Surveillance in Melbourne, our Western Australia coverage and our Perth page.