Alan Ring, CEO, HALOS discusses generational attitudes to body‑cameras and how HALOS is navigating scale, privacy and trust in diverse private security settings.

With over 15 years of experience across financial services, healthcare and engineering, what motivated your transition to HALOS and how have those sectors influenced your leadership approach here?

What really unites all my past work is compliance and transparency. These aren’t just features – they’re foundational.

In financial services, everything’s about giving customers insight into where they stand.

In healthcare, protecting patient data is critical – for privacy, absolutely – but also so doctors can accurately diagnose and treat patients using reliable information.

At HALOS, the same core principles are at play; we help businesses see what’s happening, interpret it and act all in a transparent, compliant manner.

For me, this isn’t a departure from what I’ve done, it is all those experiences distilled into one place. 

In your view, how are body worn cameras shifting from being seen as traditional safety surveillance tools to instruments of transparency, trust and social transformation?

I think video technology is evolving rapidly.

Now that everyone has a camera on their phone, there’s an underlying tension: Someone records something from their perspective and this version becomes the truth.

But body‑cameras arguably bring balance – they provide both sides of the story.

Organisations can equip staff working in all kinds of environments with tools that aren’t just passive watchers, but companions: They record when needed and they deter bad behaviour.

In broader society, we’re seeing a shift. People are starting to see body‑cameras not as surveillance, but as safety tools.

It’s not about constant monitoring – it’s about transparency, accountability and trust.

Because when used properly, they are able to record and deter incidents and improve processes.

For organisations, that means it’s essential to have clear policies and procedures around body‑camera usage – when to turn them on, how to manage the data, who sees it. That’s how trust is built.

We can already see signs of that trust building.

In the UK, a HALOS survey of over 2,200 adults revealed that 55% of people said that body‑cameras increased their sense of personal safety.

You’ve shared some insights on deploying body-worn technology for festivals, campuses, logistics and retail what emerging use cases excite you the most and why?

Private security is an area where body-cameras will continue to grow – in fact, I’m already seeing more and more use‑cases popping up, both within private security and in businesses adjacent to it.

These devices are no longer just for compliance – they serve in training, HR and so many other roles.

One use that I find especially interesting is how engineering firms are employing body-cameras with field engineers.

It’s not just about lone‑worker safety anymore; HALOS is using live‑streaming back to base so that complex issues can be resolved in real time.

That means fewer delays, fewer return visits and fewer calls just to try to diagnose what’s going wrong.

What this gives you is real efficiency – faster problem solving, better learning in situ and less downtime.

It’s a huge time‑saver and I believe it’s a use‑case whose importance will only increase over time.

How do you advise businesses to balance transparency and respect for privacy in this new era? 

Being transparent about how and why your company uses body‑cameras is essential.

Organisations must be upfront with customers: People need to know that body cameras may be operating, in what contexts and what the footage is being used for. Equally, employees must be well trained, so they can use them appropriately, with respect and awareness.

From our side, we build in strict protocols and robust controls around data: How it’s stored, who can extract it and who has access.

The data remains the customer’s. We manage it securely, but it’s their data.

Controls, processes, compliance – those are the foundations.

It’s also important that organisations communicate the benefits clearly.

Body-cameras aren’t just deterrents. For example, in festival settings they help organisers understand where crowd surges happen and how incidents unfold, often after the fact because they have reliable footage.

That’s not just useful for safety, it’s for learning, refining how you work and improving efficiency.

As we build out more analytic capabilities on footage, we’ll be able to offer reports that help them improve compliance, working practices and overall safety.

Over time, I believe that development will help integrate body-cameras positively into society – not as tools of surveillance, but as tools of safety, accountability and trust.

Research shows that younger consumers are more likely to feel uneasy about being recorded. How is HALOS addressing these generation dynamics in deployments?

I think body-cameras are effective. Some people are uneasy, especially younger adults, but our survey shows that 65% of 18-24-year-olds say they would “think twice” about their behaviour if they knew they were being recorded.

That means there’s a shared responsibility: Organisations must be clear about why body-camera are used and assure people that the data is secure and outline the reasons for recording.

Protocols and controls are essential in making that trust real.

Use‑cases are expanding. Younger generations entering the workforce will increasingly be familiar with body-cameras.

For example, retailers are already using them to train staff on how to respond in tricky situations.

For me, body-cameras are an effective de‑escalation tool – particularly when organisations invest in training and clarity.

That can reduce friction, especially for younger people who may be more sensitive to being recorded but also more aware of what’s possible with modern video.

In our HALOS survey of over 2,200 UK adults:

• 29% of 18‑24‑year‑olds said they felt uncomfortable when retail or security staff wore body-cameras 
• But many of these same young people say they would change how they act if they knew they were being recorded

So, while discomfort exists, it does improve behaviour.

That’s part of what makes the technology powerful, with transparency, responsible use and thoughtful policy, it can build trust, promote safer interactions and help integrate body-cameras into everyday settings in a way people accept.

To address these generational dynamics, our cameras are deliberately designed to be small and discreet – part of the uniform rather than an intimidating presence.

In fact, our survey found that 38% of people said they had never noticed body-cameras in action at all, showing how unobtrusive the technology can be.

HALOS builds on that insight with cameras that integrate quietly into everyday uniforms.

For younger adults this helps normalise the technology, while for wearers it means a lightweight design that doesn’t add bulk or weigh them down during long shifts.

Given that HALOS supports both small teams and large events, what are the key challenges in scaling deployment across diverse private security settings and how are these addressed?

What we pride ourselves on most is simplicity and reliability.

The more reliable and simple the system, the easier it is to deploy – and that’s exactly what we aim for.

We’ve built a camera product that works out of the box.

Whether you’re a small business or a large organisation, you can turn it on and start immediately.

No complex Wi-Fi set‑ups. If there’s Wi-Fi, you can use it; if not, there’s 4G.

We’ve included GPS tracking so you always know where the camera is, live streaming so you can see what’s happening in real time and automatic uploading so your footage is instantly available in the cloud.

This works well for smaller customers who want minimal fuss but also scales for larger deployments – site‑by‑site setups, multi‑location rolls‑outs – everything remains predictable.

Our subscription model is built for that predictability.

Whether your business is small or large, you know what your costs will look like and can plan accordingly.

To what extent does fast, transparent and evidence-based access contribute to both risk management and client relationships in private security? How has this transformed day to day operations?

Speed matters. Immediate access to footage transforms how people use body‑cameras: They don’t just record – they respond.

Transparent access means faster apprehension, reduced risk and stronger trust (between staff, customers and businesses). 

Live streaming and automatic uploading are game changers.

Companies that used to wait for manual uploads or deal with delays now see what happens in real time.

It’s not just about having video – it’s about having access to it now.

That shift boosts staff confidence, reassures customers, cuts down on disputed claims and helps de‑escalate situations before they spiral.

We’ve got examples: A security provider at large football events switched to us after 14 years with another supplier – because we give them instant, live access to footage.

That alone makes a difference. So simplicity, reliability, speed – when those are built in, body‑cameras don’t feel like an extra burden; they feel immediate, effective and trusted.