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 Adelaide and throughout South Australia, for private clients, law firms, insurers and employers.
How we run counter surveillance in Adelaide
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 South Australia law means for this work
South Australia licenses investigators under the Security and Investigation Industry Act 1995, administered by Consumer and Business Services rather than by police. Section 6 creates an investigation agent’s licence, and it comes in two categories: restricted to inquiry work, or restricted to collection work. Only the inquiry work category covers investigation. Licences are renewed every twelve months, and licensing appeals go to the Administrative and Disciplinary Division of the District Court rather than to the state tribunal.
Section 4 prohibits use of a listening device on a private conversation, but section 4(2)(b)(iv) contains the same licensed inquiry work exception as the optical provision, again conditioned on the use being reasonably necessary to protect a person’s lawful interests.
South Australia is the only jurisdiction with an express exception for licensed investigators. Section 5(4)(a)(iv) of the Surveillance Devices Act 2016 disapplies the optical surveillance prohibition where the device is used by the holder of an investigation agent’s licence authorising inquiry work, in the course of their functions, and where the use is reasonably necessary for the protection of a person’s lawful interests. Every element of that matters. It does not help an unlicensed operator, a collection only licence, or a client acting on curiosity.
The investigator exception does not extend to tracking. Section 7 prohibits determining the location of a person without consent, or of a vehicle or thing without the consent of the owner or person in lawful possession, and there is no carve out for investigation agents. Covert vehicle tracking in South Australia is not lawful.
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 SA 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 SA 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 South Australia
Metropolitan Adelaide breaks into the CBD and inner ring through Adelaide, North Adelaide, Norwood, Unley and Prospect, the north through Salisbury, Playford, Elizabeth and Gawler, the north east through Tea Tree Gully, Campbelltown and Modbury, the eastern foothills through Burnside, Mitcham and Stirling, the west through Charles Sturt, West Torrens, Port Adelaide and Semaphore, and the south through Marion, Holdfast Bay, Onkaparinga, Noarlunga and Aldinga. Beyond the city we cover the Adelaide Hills, the Barossa, the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island, the Limestone Coast, the Murray and Mallee, Yorke and Mid North, Eyre and Western, and the Far North.
Where the evidence ends up
- Magistrates Court of South Australia. Summary crime and smaller civil claims, with country registries at Berri, Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie and Whyalla.
- District Court of South Australia. Mid tier criminal and civil work, including the Administrative and Disciplinary Division.
- Supreme Court of South Australia. The highest state court, including the Court of Appeal.
- SACAT. Tenancy, guardianship, mental health and review of government decisions.
- South Australian Employment Tribunal. Workers compensation under the Return to Work Act 2014, the main forum for insurer commissioned evidence here.
- 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 SA 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 South Australia as well as Adelaide?
Yes. Adelaide 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 SA 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 South Australia coverage and our Adelaide page.