« Why this blog has been slow | Main | Dorset school uses Bosch's AutoTrack CCTV cameras »
September 06, 2005
MisGuided Activists
From the AP: Activists keep eye on Big Brother:
Another story on the activists that want to spend their time mapping out the location of all the surveillance cameras. I think this is a waste of time! Everyone knows that they are always being watched. If they don't, I don't think they will care because the cameras are largely used to prevent crime.
I think the key issue is not the ubiquity of the cameras, but how they are being used. What is needed is a system where camera usage and data is subject to oversight, as well as, rules and regulations for how cameras are used. The ACLU should focus on making government setup internal processes. Are there published privacy policies on camera usage?
Consider the questions that Peter asked about the Chicago project:
How many of these cameras are actually "watched"?
How much staff has been added to watch the cameras, maintain the cameras, and respond to the cameras?
How are they responding to things they see on the camera? How often do they fail to respond?
How many crimes have they actually foiled strictly with the cameras?
Who has access to the cameras? Is it only the police? Are they able to deliver live video to federal agencies if necessary?
Do 911 dispatchers have access to this video?
Do the police have access to this video from their vehicles? From other mobile devices? Link
Posted by rshah at September 6, 2005 01:47 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.rajivshah.com/~rshah/directory/mt-tb.cgi/112
Comments
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)