Thursday, September 3, 2009

CCTV Security: It's Everywhere

By Christopher Williams

Big Brother is watching you! Often bandied about in the media, the idea of pervasive surveillance is one many Americans object to, not realizing that it already is a part of the very fabric of our society. Appearing not only in the accepted banking, shopping and travel locations, closed-circuit tv (cctv) security has broadened its scope in recent years to view and record our actions at school, in government and even on the highway.

Improved technology has caused a great increase in the use of cctv security in recent years. Working in a "closed-circuit," cctv allows surveillance that can be viewed on only monitors linked in that circuit, rather than broadcast to unlimited monitors. The Internet, with its IP (Internet Protocol) cameras, has broadened the concept of cctv to allow users with proper login information to view, run, or print higher quality cctv footage at any internet connection.

People are often familiar with the many public uses of cctv security cameras as they've seen them when they shop, when they bank or even when they received that ticket in the mail for running a red light. There are, however, some more obscure uses in places such as factories and laboratories where viewing a dangerous process or experiment could threaten human life.

Although large-scale cctv can be expensive, there are many individual uses of cctv security equipment that the average person can afford and use. With easy Internet access and widespread cctv security availability, homeowners can purchase a system appropriate for their budget and worried parents can check up on their in-home "nannies" if necessary. Quality varies with cost, but each year quality is becoming more affordable and the equipment is becoming less cumbersome.

Big Brother may be watching us, but often we don't care; in fact, we laugh about it. Reality can be entertaining and broadcast companies are sure to try to profit from it if they can. Using cctv equipment to capture footage for a broadcast production is common in the entertainment world as we've seen on the various television shows from the obvious "Big Brother," to "World's Dumbest Criminals" productions.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but is it the truth? With all the internet access and computer knowledge out there, how much can we trust the surveillance footage we get from cctv security. With the ease and prevalence of photo manipulation, we know we must always consider the reliability of the source when viewing a traditional image. The question of validity must be addressed as well when it comes to using cctv technology for its intended purposes, especially legal action.

Is cctv compatible with American democracy? We live with so much surveillance now that it may be time for Americans to consider if the benefits outweigh the cost to their rights as individuals. Closed-circuit security does provide surveillance that is clearer each year and thus more useful in solving, and hopefully preventing, crime. Certainly, it has improved the safety in many manufacturing and experimental processes. And, to say the very least, it has given many of us a little peace mind both in public and in our homes, making us feel at least a little more secure and empowered in our post 9/11 world.

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