Vigilantism is law enforcement undertaken without legal authority by a self-appointed group of people. There are various examples of this type of activity, including actions by Online Child Abuse Activist Groups (OCAGs), sometimes referred to as ‘paedophile hunters’.

SIA licence holders have a vital role in keeping the public safe, and as such must carry out their duties within the law and in accordance with the standards of behaviour set out in their training.

The SIA does not support or condone SIA licence holders engaging in vigilante activity. Holding an SIA licence does not give someone additional powers to detain or arrest someone. An SIA licence holder has the same legal powers as a member of the public. They are not the police.

If an SIA licence holder uses force to detain someo

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