Is It Security Or Voyeurism

Ramblings

from the the-cam-culture dept

An opinion piece in the Boston Globe talks about the proliferation of cameras that are everywhere – often in the name of security, and points out that many people don’t seem to be concerned about the voyeuristic questions they raise. In the case of the woman caught beating her child on a security camera that got lots of attention last week, everyone focused on the horror (and it was horrible) of what the woman was doing and not how this got caught on camera. Clearly, that situation warranted focusing on what was on the camera, but it still raises some questions. People have become used to being on camera – and this writer wonders if the people behind the cameras are taking advantage of that. Instead of being used for “security”, the cameras become tools of voyeurism. In this society of webcams and shows like Big Brother, people have become desensitized to this fact, and some even enjoy the exhibitionist aspect of always being watched. Update: I guess this topic is picking up some steam. The NY Times also has an article about this, focusing on a guy who disables security cameras with a laser pointer, and the Red Herring is wondering if the technology world can come up with a solution that lets security cameras work without infirnging on privacy rights.