Report warns on misuse of CCTV

Story link: Report warns on misuse of CCTV by Jan Harris

A report from the Royal Academy of Engineering warns that surveillance and the collection of personal date could endanger privacy and even put lives at risk.

The ‘Dilemmas of Privacy and Surveillance’ report suggests that there are now so many CCTV cameras in Britain that installing any more should be halted until their need is proven.

More research is recommended to find out whether the benefits of CCTV outweigh their intrusion into people’s privacy.

CCTV footage could be watched on the Internet for voyeuristic reasons and could even provide terrorists with information to help them identify the best locations for setting off a bomb to cause the maximum damage.

The report suggests that CCTV cameras could be overseen by the communities they serve or the people they watch.

It also raises concerns over the number of databases holding detailed personal information which could be stolen or destroyed by terrorists or criminals.

It urges governments and companies to encrypt databases, keep the minimum amount of data for a minimum amount of time, and regularly check for errors in the system.