Electronic Surveillance

Closed-Circuit Televisions (CCTVs) have been growing in cities around the world as mushrooms after
the rain. With such great proliferation of the use of CCTVs by governments around the world, citizens and
privacy groups question their effectiveness and purpose.

CCTV cameras were installed in London during the last decade as a way to deter IRA from dropping off
bombs in the city center. UK is by far the most CCTV-saturated country in the world with one camera for
every 14 citizens, Davis, 2008. Many cities around the world, such as New York, Berlin, Tokyo, and
Toronto, are following Londons example in implementing CCTV cameras in public areas.
CCTVs original purpose of deterring minor crimes, such as burglary, assault and theft has expanded to
combat anti-social behavior such as littering, drunkenness, and marijuana usage (Privacy International,
n.d.). Organizations, such as Privacy International, and average citizens around the world, voice their
discontent with erosion of privacy caused by CCTVs and doubt their effectiveness in combating serious
crimes. Here several some examples of protests:
In New York, volunteer Bill Brown, takes visitors to CCTV tour of Time Square and ends it with holding US
Constitution up to a police camera and reading the fourth amendment (Crean, 2002).
NotBored.org (n.d.) reports that the first protest against CCTVs took place on May 10, 1997 in Brighton,
UK in which public ridiculed use of cameras with covering them with garbage bags and dressing the
cameras in ribbons.

Privacy International issued public complaint against Torontos plan to install 12,000 additional cameras
in public transit stating that their use in deterring crimes is negligible (Privacy International, 2007).
Following citizens complaints, British Home Office launched study led by Martin Gill and Angela Spriggs
(2005) assessing the impact of CCTV, which concluded that even though there was some reduction in
crime, following CCTV installation, there was little to suggest that it was attributable to CCTV. However,
CCTVs usage caused increased concerns for privacy and liberties.
References
Crean, E. (2002, April 21). Close Watch Surveillance Cameras are Everywhere. Retrieved February 14,
2010, from CBS Sunday Morning: http://www.cbsnews.com
Davis, D. (2008, June 23). These neighborhood snoops undermine our liberty. Retrieved February 14,
2010, from Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Gill, M., & Spriggs, A. (2005). Assessing the impact of CCTV. Home Office Research Study 292. London, UK.
Not Bored. (n.d.). Resisting the Camera. Retrieved February 14, 2010, from Notbored.org:
http://www.notbored.org/10may97.html
Privacy International. (n.d.). CCTV Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved February 14, 2010, from Privacy
International: http://www.privacyinternational.org
Privacy International. (2007, October 25). PI Files complaint about expansion of CCTV on Toronto transit
network. Retrieved February 14, 2010, from Privacy International: http://www.privacyinternational.org

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