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 Canberra and throughout the Australian Capital Territory, for private clients, law firms, insurers and employers.
How we run counter surveillance in Canberra
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 the Australian Capital Territory law means for this work
Investigation work is not among the security activities licensed under section 7 of the ACT’s Security Industry Act 2003. The more useful question in Canberra is what licence an operator holds for work that crosses into New South Wales, because a great deal of it does. Queanbeyan is about fifteen minutes from the CBD and it is New South Wales, where a Class 2E licence under the Security Industry Act 1997 is required.
The Listening Devices Act 1992 applies. Section 4 makes it an offence to listen to or record a private conversation you are not a party to, and also restricts a party recording their own conversation, subject to consent and lawful interests exceptions. Maximum 50 penalty units.
The ACT has no general statute regulating private optical surveillance outside the workplace. What applies instead is the stalking offence in section 35 of the Crimes Act 1900, which expressly covers surveillance and watching a place where a person lives, works or visits on two or more occasions, and where prosecutors need not prove actual fear. The border is the bigger issue: the moment work crosses into New South Wales, section 8 of the Surveillance Devices Act 2007 applies and it is considerably stricter.
There is no ACT tracking device statute outside the workplace context. Cross the border into New South Wales, however, and section 9 of the Surveillance Devices Act 2007 applies immediately. A job that starts in Belconnen and follows a subject to Queanbeyan has changed legal regimes mid task, which is the single largest practical trap in Canberra investigation work.
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 ACT 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 ACT 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 the Australian Capital Territory
Canberra has no local government and is organised into districts built around town centres, which is how work here is best planned. Inner North covers Civic, Braddon, Turner, O’Connor, Lyneham, Dickson, Watson, Ainslie and Campbell. Inner South covers Kingston, Barton, Forrest, Griffith, Manuka, Narrabundah, Red Hill, Deakin and Yarralumla. Belconnen, Gungahlin, Woden Valley, Weston Creek, Molonglo Valley and Tuggeranong each operate as their own centre. We also work the surrounding New South Wales communities that function as part of the Canberra region, including Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra, Googong, Bungendore, Murrumbateman and Yass.
Where the evidence ends up
- ACT Magistrates Court. Civil claims from $25,000 to $250,000, summary crime, and specialist jurisdictions including the Coroners, Childrens, Industrial and Family Violence Courts. It is also the court that issues covert workplace surveillance authorities.
- ACT Supreme Court. Serious indictable crime, civil work generally above $250,000, and the Court of Appeal.
- ACAT. Civil disputes under $25,000, administrative review, tenancy, guardianship and occupational discipline.
- Note that the ACT has no intermediate court. Where other states have a District or County Court, the ACT has only two tiers.
- 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 ACT 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 the Australian Capital Territory as well as Canberra?
Yes. Canberra 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 ACT 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 the Australian Capital Territory coverage and our Canberra page.