The Surveillance Society Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Big Brother

While Americans fret and debate about roving wiretaps, the ever-lessening privacy, and DNA records taken by the police, Britain is already there - and they don't seem to mind Big Brother!

Here's an article at the LA Times by Kim Murphy about how Close Circuit Television cameras (CCTV) are not only pervasive in central London, they can even command you what to do!

The closed-circuit television camera lurking just down the street from the fast-food restaurant bellows menacingly at the first sign of danger to the flora, or a cast-off cigarette butt or fast-food wrapper, for that matter. "Pick it up," commands a booming voice from . . . where, exactly?

The CCTV cameras in Gloucester and several other British towns now come equipped with speakers, meaning Big Brother is not only watching, he's telling you what to do. [...]

By some estimates, 4.2 million CCTV cameras, or one for every 15 people, quietly, and sometimes not so quietly, monitor the comings and goings of almost everyone -- an average person is caught on camera up to 300 times a day.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/columnone/la-fg-bigbrother19oct19,1,1527232,full.story?coll=la-headlines-columnone&ctrack=2&cset=true

Previously on Neatorama:
» Using Spy Planes to Identify Homes that are Wasting Energy
» Automatic License Plate Recognition
» Bin Brother is Watching You
» Can Big Brother Hear Me Now? (Image: Image: Lefteris Pitarakis/AP)


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Dave P: I don't much like the surveillance society either, but it's never caused any trouble for me, or indeed anyone I know. When I I've only ever seen one or two guns in my entire life and frankly I'd rather keep it that way, and I do value my freedom, indeed. On the other hand, I don't live in London.

Believe me, the USA and Britain are pretty much the same in terms of freedom. They have their ups and downs. All this omg-we're-more-free-than-you (which happens on both sides, hell, more often on our side, actually) doesn't particularly help anyone.

Er...hope that proved you wrong? Or something.
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Oh yes! Us Brits love our CCTV nation... Where this article got that from, I do not know!

I'm sure the actually statistic for how many cameras there are for each person was higher, something like 1 for every 4 people, not that you can really trust any statistic anyway.
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so first they gave up their right to keep and bear arms to "reduce crime" then their right to privacy for the same reason, yet their crime rate (both violent and non) creeps higher and higher. seems these people don't much value their freedom? I'd enjoy being proven wrong there, but at what point is it to much? how dystopian an existence can you brits handle?

-dave p.
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I don't care if the brits are down on their knees thanking the gestapo, I DON'T WANT CCV IN AMERICA. Last time I checked Freedom meant being free and not being monitored by your government. Anybody who says this is a good idea is lair and possibly some sort of tool of oppression. Keep America Free! Vote Ron Paul! We won't get friggin' CCV on his watch.
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"Britain is already there - and they don’t seem to mind Big Brother!"
That is the single most idiotic thing I have read on this site ever.
Who was asked? Who responded that they "dont mind".
This is a propaganda piece plain and simple.
I guess "minding" the constant surveliance is a thought crime.
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