CCTV abuse

Another example of the lack of attention we pay to watching the watchers when it comes to CCTV is shown in this case, reported by the Liverpool Echo, of CCTV operators using the cameras to spy on a woman. Richard Clayton of the Foundation for Information Policy Research suggests:

"that a simple way to prevent abuse of CCTV cameras would be to relay what was being watched to local TV shops to display in their windows..."

This would impact the kind of case reported here and also, as Richard says,

"tracking pretty girls down the street and such-like privacy invasion...

... if the watchers know that their watching decisions are being watched by the public then they are far less likely to abuse their position."


On the issue of civil rights and the Internet, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has published the Media Freedom Internet Cookbook (warning large PDF file, 646 K).