Are You Being Watched?
According to the ACLU:
California cities are moving quickly to install video surveillance cameras on public streets and plazas without regulations, with little or no public debate, and without an evaluation of their effectiveness, according to an American Civil Liberties Union report released today.
Surveillance cameras are an extremely controversial issue. Although cameras may be appropriate in some situations, the benefits of such cameras must be very carefully weighed against the threat to civil liberties. In addition, alternatives to surveillance cameras must be looked into. However, many local governments across the nation are rushing to install these cameras as an ‘easy solution.’
Surveillance cameras have many flaws. Although they may assist in solving crimes, they are not capable of stopping a crime in progress, as a police officer would be. In addition, surveillance cameras have the potential to interfere with privacy. Do you really want a video of you kissing your SO showing up on You Tube? There is no guarantee that the video will remain in the sole custody of the city, or that it will be destroyed if not needed for a criminal investigation.
