MONTREAL — A fake surveillance camera pointing into a bathroom stall of a Second Cup restaurant was taken down Monday after it sparked concerns from the chain's executives and the Quebec government.

Second Cup franchisee Francois Turgeon recently installed the decoy camera in his downtown cafe hoping to ward off heroin users who reportedly left dirty needles in the men's bathroom.

The camera appeared to point into the lone stall in the bathroom and, while it was clearly visible, there was no sign on Monday morning to warn patrons they were being filmed.

After news of the camera's location made its way into the city's leading tabloid on Monday, Second Cup executives asked Turgeon to remove it.

"Second Cup was not consulted in advance regarding this course of action and certainly would have counselled our Franchise Partner differently,'' company president Bruce Elliot said in a news release.

"The Franchise Partner now realizes that this was not the appropriate course of action.''

Turgeon refused to speak to the media on Monday.

According to Second Cup, Montreal police were aware of the camera, which was installed last week. The camera also came to the attention of Quebec's access to information commission, which is responsible for upholding the province's privacy act.

"We find the situation very worrying and we are looking into it,'' said Caroline Ducet, a legal adviser with the commission.

However, news that the camera was only a dud will likely mute any legal concerns over its use. Quebec privacy law prohibits companies from "recording'' personal information and Second Cup described the camera as a "non-working decoy.''

Still, privacy advocates are uncomfortable with the creeping presence of cameras in more intimate places such as bathrooms. Whether the camera works or not, the effect, they say, is the same.

"One of the weird things about this area of law is the fact that it is designed in many ways to protect people's feelings,'' said David Fraser, a privacy lawyer based in Halifax. "It's about people not wanting to feel they're under surveillance.''

For Fraser, the underlying issue is the sense of violation that comes with feeling one's private space is being subjected to anonymous, prying eyes.

"There isn't any real material difference between a fake camera and a real camera,'' he said. "Whether they're real or fake, you still have the feeling of being watched.''

One patron of the Second Cup in question appeared to be more sympathetic with the owner's intentions.

"I am conscious the owner has to do something about the problem,'' said Steve Beshwaty as he enjoyed a cup of coffee.

"I don't find it particularly appealing to have a camera in the bathroom, but I understand the owner. ''