Watching you… and you and… especially you.
Since 2003, the license plate of every car driving into central London during weekdays is filmed as part of a program to reduce traffic congestion. In all, there are at least 500,000 cameras in the city, and one study showed that in a single day a person could expect to be filmed 300 times.
On the Underground network's main Central Line, an east-west trunk that cuts across London and carries 166 million passengers a year, about 500 cameras, installed in 34 stations, feed into a central system.
The CCTV User Group says one study has put the number of cameras across the United Kingdom at seven million. The country's enthusiasm with CCTV can be seen in Croydon, a suburb south of London, where 331,000 residents are watched by 500 cameras with zoom lenses.
Even many of the private cameras in place at banks and offices have been incorporated into the overall system, called Camerawatch, which is monitored by police. Similar systems are used in other busy London areas, such as the Oxford Street shopping district, around government offices at Westminster and at popular tourist areas.
The technology has become popular and widespread, with the result that Britons are by far the most watched people on earth, with one camera for every 8 people, according to recent estimates.
Legislation requires authorities to clearly signal where cameras are in operation, yet as many as 80 percent are thought to break this rule.
Does that make you feel safe? Does it make you feel secure…?
Or does it make you feel spied upon?
7 comments:
To be honest, it makes me safe & secure. Not many of those camera's are "watched" by anyone other than a computer, although the film can be checked if necessary.
if you're not doing anything wrong, you haven't got anything to fear..... No I don't believe we are turning into 1984 Big Brother State - those camera's were used to keep the average law abiding citizen in his place, these ones are to prevent/prosecute crimes.
I'm all for ID cards too - although I don't think they'll make the slightest difference to terrorists/immigration/serious crime.
Mrs A said: I'm all for ID cards too - although I don't think they'll make the slightest difference to terrorists/immigration/serious crime.
If they won't make any difference to those issues.. then why are you still in favour of them?
Mrs A said: If you're not doing anything wrong, you haven't got anything to fear
That one always makes me laugh. I wonder if the person who thought it up is on commision - he'd be a rich man now...
Question for you:
What happens when your idea of 'wrong' clashes with their idea of wrong?
..and what happens when the idea of 'wrong' is identical to a particular ethnic/racial/religious group of people? Would you still like to be monitored so much?
The 500,000 camera's in London didn't prevent the bombings on 7th July nor the attempted bombing a few weeks later though they did alow the police to make arrests the 2nd time - this isn't much use however when we're talking about suicide bombings of course...
Secure - I am doing nothing wrong so I'm ok. And one day they might help nail some little scumbag who tries to hurt me or my family/friends.
If I were to do something wrong and be caught on camera - more fool me. [wistfully thinks of all those speeding tickets]
cq
ID cards will make a difference for all those "little" crimes that cause misery to the many, & cost a fortune in taxpayers money by either wasting police time finding out who poeple are, holding people in jail because we can't acertain who they are, or most common of all, chasing them for months because they didn't turn up in court/pay the compensation/do their community service & they gave a false ID.
Big crime can forge any document. Your average anti-social lout can't.
What happens when your idea of 'wrong' clashes with their idea of wrong?
..and what happens when the idea of 'wrong' is identical to a particular ethnic/racial/religious group of people?
I chose where to live & accept that I must abide by the laws. If I disagree with a law, i try & protest in a legal & sensible manner. If I break said law, I accept that when/if caught I will need to pay specified penalty. If I lived in a country where I felt I could not abide by the laws as they were fundementally against my principles, I would leave - however much difficulty that gave my personal life.
It's not paranoia if they are really out to get you. ;o)
That is so creepy... George Orwell was right on target!
It bothers me that people are so willing to give up theri freedom, and their right to privacy, for some small feeling of security.
Give me a little less security and a lot more freedom, thank you!
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