Britain Putting CCTV Cameras Inside Private Residences

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/britain-to-put-cctv-cameras-inside-private-homes/.

From the article: "The government’s “children’s secretary” Ed Balls is behind the plan, which is aimed at problem, antisocial families. The idea is that, if a child has a more stable home life, he or she will be less likely to stray into crime and drugs."

Also: "The government is also maintaining a private army, incredibly not called “Thought Police”, which will “be sent round to carry out home checks” .

Using the exact same reason as the British, this kind of program could easily be implemented in the States and other democratic nations. Of course you can also wonder to yourself just what does the government consider "problematic and antisocial"?

 

I just about freaked until I saw this guy's comment below the article:

 

well done caspian.

 

But still, the UK is going to hell in a hand basket and surveillance is a big part of this.

Expect RFID implants at birth in 20 years, and cameras in ones home at some time after this.

Paranoid? Me?

 

yeah they're used to not having any privacy as far as CCTV in the UK. They've had that ring of steel around london since the 90's. No vehicle can enter the city without multiple sets of cameras recording the vehicle, closeup of vehicle occupants and the number plate read.

I also remember a case of a CCTV operator in the UK looking into the window of a private residence and witnessing either an attempted murder or an assault of a woman in progress. He contacted the police who saved the day, and the video used as evidence for a conviction. I wonder how many times these CCTV guys are pointing cameras into the windows of people's houses and arent' witnessing crimes

 

Still, what's your opinion on this?
Good or bad?

I say its a slippery slope, and its a bad thing.
Alll that, just because a nation lacks the balls to prosecute people and put them to jail...where those kinds of people belong.

 

Good point

 

The "Ring of Steel" was a welcomed anti terror measure, at the time, mainly to deal with IRA and other groups attempts to blow London to kingdom come. It just seems to have grown into a whole new monster that can report you for non payment of various taxes & breaking speed limits. I can vouch for the effectiveness of it too! I have lost count of the times I have been fined for forgetting to pay the toll to enter central london and the cameras have photographed my vehicle. They're bloody good.

What started out as a measure to protect the people has grown into a monster to control also. CCTV sucks and it isn't the answer. More police on the streets is the answer. Showing CCTV clips in court is a failure, the crime has already happened. You need guys on the street corners preventing!

It's weird because people in UK don't think that much about the privacy implications of CCTV anymore. We're under fire from the government using CCTV to screw us over monetarily. Quite sad.

 

The "Ring of Steel" and all the CCTV cameras in London did nothing to stop 4 suicide bombers from killing 56 people in 2005 ........................ but hey it'll be all worth it if we catch a couple of kids not doing their homework or get one more kid to eat his broccoli