A Conversation for CCTV and Privacy in the UK

Update from the writer

Post 1

SA Mathieson

Since I wrote this last year, things have moved on a bit. Firstly, the Visionics FaceIt system has been adopted by another named council (Tameside, east of Manchester) and three unnamed ones in the UK. It's also been purchased by no end of US airports and authorities.

However, it also appears not to work, at least for CCTV cameras watching uncontrolled areas such as streets. The Guardian's science correspondent found no evidence it has ever spotted any criminal in Newham in London (see [Broken link removed by Moderator]). He was put on the system, and it didn't spot him.

Finally, a scientist at Kingston University in London is working on software that predicts actions before they happen - apparently. See the story from BBC News (of May 1) at http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1953000/1953770.stm

SA Mathieson


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