Surveillance Cameras: just how much of a threat are they?

The UK hosted the world’s first surveillance camera day. The UK spends over £2 billion per annum on video surveillance. However, this is not just to flaunt the new tech. The aim is to also raise awareness about surveillance cameras and ignite a debate on how they are used. How much should security cameras be used?

In modern society, surveillance cameras are frequently used, but who is using them and why?

Security Cameras

Security cameras are placed in strategic locations in, for example, a home, business or general area. They are collected to a central system and the cameras send the footage to a monitor to display what the camera sees.

You might wonder why I mentioned how a security camera works. But this has become a part of everyday life. It is not just in homes or businesses for security. With modern crime concerns, there has been an impulse to blanket public spaces with cameras. However, this is susceptible to abuse by criminals and institutions. A result could also be targeting a ‘suspect community’. The lack of consensus on how they are to be use aids this.

In comes the UK’s surveillance camera day.

The Organisers

The Surveillance Camera Commissioner and the Centre for Research into Information, Surveillance and Privacy organised the event. The goal is to create a nationwide conversation about camera technology. At Serviceteam IT we are very curious about the use of artificial intelligence in UK business as a part of the emerging technology world. Here AI would be especially useful for automatic face recognition.

Do you have an opinion about what you think is acceptable surveillance? The Surveillance Camera Commissioner was hoping you did to help inform the policy-makers and service providers pushing this service.

Who is opening their doors?

A number of surveillance camera operators publishished what their surveillance cameras are designed to do, the number of cameras they have amongst other facts about their system.

Participants include; the University of Wolverhampton, Surrey Police in Woking, the Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council.

Cyber-attack potential and civil liberties

The Surveillance Camera Commissioner launched a list of minimum requirements for manufacturers of surveillance systems. This is the first set of regulations in the world.

Ultimately, this ensures that the settings are secure, and the software is less vulnerable to a cyber-security attack.

The Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s Opinion

Tony Porter said, “Cameras are used to keep people safe, but new and emerging technology can lead to greater infringements to our civil liberties,”

“Civil engagement is a key strand of the national surveillance camera strategy, and I want people who use cameras to shine a light on what they do – how they’re using cameras to protect communities, not spy on them.”

What are your thoughts on surveillance and security? We would love to hear your thoughts below.