Watching them watching us
Wednesday, May 2, 2007 
The Daily Telegraph has an interesting leader today on the subject of surveillance cameras (click HERE). It quotes the Information Commissioner Richard Thomas who spoke with great eloquence on Radio Five Live yesterday before giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee. According to Thomas, Britain is sleepwalking into a "surveillance society". I couldn't agree more. Our concern puts us in a small minority however because - as the Telegraph points out - CCTV cameras (many of which may soon be fitted with microphones so small you won't be able to see them) are largely popular with the general public which sees them as a reassuring presence rather than a threat to our civil liberties.
The usual response - "If you've done nothing wrong you've nothing to worry about" - won't do. I am not against the use of surveillance cameras in moderation but I object strongly to the idea that there may come a day when I won't even be able to pick my nose (not yet a criminal offence) without being monitored by an eye in the sky. As with speed cameras, there must be a limit to the number of CCTV cameras and local authorities must be forced to justify their installation without taking our support for granted.
Meanwhile it is our job to convince a compliant public that excessive use of rules, regulations and technology to control and monitor our behaviour is fundamentally wrong. Freedom has its limits - as does Big Government. Where to draw the line is a thorny issue, but draw a line we must.
Reader Comments (5)
There ard pros and cons with the proliferation of CCTV cameras in our towns and cities. It is true that criminals have more to fear from them than ordinary law abiding citizens. And if you or I became a victim of a mugging or some other terrible crime in a city centre then we may well sing the praises of the CCTV cameras if it helped to quickly bring the perpetrator to justice.
The example that we are setting to the rest of the world may be a little worrying though. Would we like to see the likes of Saddam Hussein's former regime, North Korea or Robert Mugabe's state following our lead and installing CCTV cameras everywhere?
On a domestic note perhaps the only immediate issue is that we just don't feel comfortable with being watch over even if it is for our own good.
The disturbing thing should be what if the current trend of civil liberties erosion continues and the police are already equipped with the ability to closely monitor the public.
Considering we already have one person serving time in prison for what is essentially a thought crime, the police's ability to listen in to all our conversations SHOULD be worrying to everyone.
Oh, and coupled with the ability to "search" people remotely - it all adds up to person freedom being a thing of the past in the not too distant future.
"If you aren't doing anything wrong..." How many of us have photographs or our children? Do you have any of your children having fun on the beach? Or in the bath? Are they less than fully dressed? If you become an undesirable those pictures would be enough.
Even the above is more than is currently needed if you become really undesirable to the Home Secretary. Under the guise of protecting us all from terrorism any of us could be picked up at any time and jailed without recourse to a court for up to 28 days and I'm pretty sure longer if they really wanted to make it so.
We are often baffled by the actions of government. I think the root of the bafflement is the belief that government is at worst composed of good people who are really trying to do what they say they are trying to do. If you regard them all as sophisticated criminals with the power to use force to get compliance you will be amazed at how less baffled you will feel. The world starts to make sense.
Iam a non-smoker but i do not believe in how smokers are being treated with the smoking ban
i wrote to my MP who is also a non-smoker asked how he voted NO but before he voted he looked into how the smoking ban was working in other places and found that a lot of bussiness
have gone bust and found out people who owned thier own bussiness was left owning £1000's and in debt and there is in some cases no way can they pay the debt
the other reason was that more people are going to stay at home and this could turn neighbour against neighbour because of the noise
next reason was that the younger grenaration are going to think that if there parents can smoke and drink also my MP was cocerned that people who cannot indulge in public places are likely to in creased their smoking at home 'causing their children increased health risk then we can and we have a drink problem with the younger ones now
the other reason was how would anybody like there older relative who smokers and lives in a old peoples home no matter of there age having to go out side to smoke after all these people did fight in the WW2 for us or have we forgotten this Also what about the noise level out side a pub people do live next to pubs or near one and i do not think they will like the noise you cannot tell people to be quiet just because they are enjoying them selfs also they may have problems selling there house no one will want to live near a pub
as a non-smoker we have always had the right to go into public places and have never been told to stand out side in all weathers he knows places where they are not allowed to smoke in one room of a pub but they can in a nother and my MP found out this does work and byhaving air extraction fans going all the time the rooms are not fulled with smoke
and why should we treat smokers like second class citizens and why are we being raceist
is this what have become of this country
next you go into your local take a good look around it may not be ther in a few years time
Never been anywhere with as many CCTVs as the UK. Apparently there's more in this country than the rest of the planet combined. I agree with your thinking Simon- the councils' installment should be reviewed more thoroughly.