UK risks drift to surveillance society, say MPs

What is going on in the west, we are supposed to be a democracy and live our lives free of interferance and oppression. But yet, ever society in the west is being watch no matter what we do. Is anyone else sick of it? Surley that has to be a breech of people civil rights?

RISKS? This is a joke! It's already here and have been for at least 2 years! What are they smoking?

Yes, I saw this on the news this morning as well.

I can't remember who the BBC was interviewing (an MP I believe, though not one of the aforementioned), but he was doing his best to play down the suggestion.

Really annoying, actually. He dismissed out of hand any potential criticisms by saying that there was a demand for CCTV in virtually every council because "they keep people safe".

Alright, I can kind of accept that. I don't like it, but I can see his point, though I'm certain he has exaggerated the demand.

The thing is, the interviewer wasn't asking and he seemed disinclined to talk about the meat of the issue - which is the use this footage is going to be put to. How long is footage kept for? Is it disposed of permamently? Is face-recognition software used in conjunction with this technology? Are people with criminal records tracked using such systems? How are requests from other departments of the government (such as MI5 or Scotland Yard) dealt with? Is the information encrypted, stored and transferred safely? How is access decided?

And that's just when it comes to CCTV. Don't even get me started on the national ID cards and telecommunication/internet spying issues...

[/steps off his soapbox]

The serveillance program is set up ONLY to serve the powers that be. Thay can watch any dissenters/troublemakers 24hrs a day. Answer me this? if someone came up to you in the streets with a knife,about to stab you, will the CCTV be able to stop them? of course not! it does not keep people safer, it cannot stop crime from happening. It MAY to a lesser degree serve as a deterrent to SOME, but not all. It MAY also help in identyfying someone that has commited a crime, if seen on the camera, but most youngsters wear hoodies nowdays which hides their identities anyway. The idea behind it is 'NO-ONE ESCAPES THE EYES OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER, THERE IS NO PLACE TO HIDE WHEN WE WANT TO ROUND YOU UP!!!!

Related topic:

Airlines may be forced to fit antiterror cameras in seats

I went on a Domestic flight today to and from Manchester for my work, and to my shock, the Domestic flights in the UK are using the Advanced Passenger Information Service. SHOCKING! What next, get a bus and you will have to advise your details in advance?

I went to the cashpoint/ATM today and I noticed 3 cameras pointed in my direction, all within 3 metres or 10ft of the cashpoint/ATM. There was another camera 9 metres or 30ft away too. The surveillance society in the UK is really getting out of hand. When New Labour came into power Tony Blair made the speech, there is a third way, the third way in german as a literal translation is "the third reich", hence my third way quote. We need to boot these totalitarian scum out of power, all the political parties in the UK are for Big business and not the people.

This bloke should come take a look at the estate I live in, I'ts gone from a nice place to a s* hole in 8 years, I'ts gone from a place with no CCTV cameras to a place with about 30 100m away from where I'm typing now.

They dont deter criminals otherwise I'd be living in the garden of eden now.

He says we risk drifting into the surveillance society...I say where already in it.

reply to post by fred3110


We are already in it and alot deeper than most people fear or seem to know about.

Londons Praetorian guards system is designed soley to protect the elite from 'undesirables'.

Enter the M25 sytem and inside that, and the Met Police know about it if your a known agitator / anti government person type.... real strange though that criminals, real bad criminals are not watched under praetorian.

Wonder why ?

reply to post by Dan Tanna


Letting the real criminals do there thing keeps the fear going, I dont get why people think CCTV helps prevent crimes...if someones gonna do you over they will, whether or not theres CCTV watching them.

Its a great way of keeping tabs on "terrorists" though...I wonder who will be considered a "terrorist" in the future.