How much of my privacy am I willing to give up for a perceived safety? Many countries are putting a spy camera in every public space possible. These cameras fill the transportation systems, street corners, and government buildings.
Having a spy camera watching – just incase something bad MIGHT happen – makes some people feel more at ease. Before you become one to get on the “Big Brother” boat, you should think about a few things first.
The picture may be worth a thousand words, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. A spy camera in the school bus may show the bus driver NOT doing anything during a brawl. It looks bad. What is doesn’t show is that the traffic did not offer the driver a chance to pull over and that she was trying to contain the situation as best she could with her words. Unfortunately, the media gets the surveillance video and the driver is condemned by the public before the real truth is known.
The security of the spy camera video is almost nonexistent. It is possible that a night guard or some other employee (or worse than that, a hacker) could sell the taps or use them to determine a pattern of behavior in order to plan the perfect crime. Having some one get a record of your every move is not as safe as it may sound.
The most important thing for me is the stealing of my privacy. A spy camera goes into an area of my life that I don’t want invaded. If I’m alone in the park, I want to know that I’m actually alone. Having people watch me in public buildings is second nature to me now. I know that there is in eye in every ceiling. For me, it’s not worth my freedom to have that same eye follow me outside the building.
Keep the spy camera inside, and let me have the open air all to myself.
Kathryn Lang is a freelance writer covering the home security industry. She has written various articles on
spy camera products and is an editor at the
CCTV blog.
