People are Watching.....You!

[Rich Riddle]

I am constantly amazed how many cameras watch us in life. On TV they showed a female who was at Wal-Mart with a criminal. They record everyone going into and out of the store. Mind you, she committed not crime; she was just with him. I do know the local Wal-Mart records every license plate as it enters and leaves. Amazing how monitored we are.

[Kev Williams]

Funny story about being watched from over 15 years ago... a local grocery store calls us and tells us our kid and some girl with him were up in their office, being charged with shoplifting. The 'girl was our daughter-in-law, his brother's wife. They took a carton of cigarettes and a VCR movie, about $50 total...

So after doing the chat with the police and store officials, the funny part was when they said to us "oh, we've seen them steal stuff lots of times. Usually candy bars or drinks from the checkout fridges, stuff like that. This time it added up to more than a few bucks worth so we thought we should do something about it".

Seriously?

Want the name of the store?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

"1984" was just delayed getting here.....

[Mel Fulks]

I don't worry about it,solves a lot of serious crime. Sometimes the pics are taken by crooks ...then seized by police. And you've got to factor in that the Ten Most Wanted no longer have their pics in the post office ....so that's MORE privacy than what they used to have! I think it is less invasive to have my photo taken in public and not ever see it ,than it is to receive a pic of someone's sandwich when I'm having a good meal.

[Rich Riddle]

I suppose it does bother me that so many cameras record all the aspects of life. Privacy pretty much evaporated a while back.

[Brian Elfert]

Europe seems to be far worse about this than the USA. There are staggering statistics about how many times a day people in London are recorded by cameras.

I worked at CompUSA back in 1993 or 1994. The store when it opened had no cameras at all. Even though theft was only about $3,500 a month they decided to install cameras about six months after the store opened. Imagine any retail store not having cameras today. $3500 in theft was nothing for a retail store doing $3 million to $4 million in sales monthly.

[Chuck Wintle]

I suppose it does bother me that so many cameras record all the aspects of life. Privacy pretty much evaporated a while back.

It should bother everyone that "privacy" no longer exists. With so much surveillance there is little one can do to avoid it should one desire to. And it is worse in europe for sure. As was mentioned London has an incredible amount of cameras for every street.

[Erik Loza]

It should bother everyone that "privacy" no longer exists...

Maybe just me, but I don't care. In the privacy of your home or your own vehicle is a different story but being watched/recoreded in public or in a privately owned business does not bother me. But my daily activities are pretty boring.

Erik

[Curt Harms]

It isn't just cameras, either. I've read that U.S. (and probably other) intelligence agencies have taps at all the undersea cable terminals. I've also read that sending a pgp encrypted emails 'lights you up like a christmas tree'.

[Rich Riddle]

Then there is the volunteer spying people utilize with social media. The information people offer via that method to the world is unbelievable.

[Art Mann]

It used to be that you could retreat to the privacy of your own property. With the advent of still frame and video drones, you can't even do that any more. I'm not paranoid over the issue, but I think laws will eventually have to be passed to protect the air space close in around your house and property. Right now, it is illegal to prevent one of these invasive devices from hovering over your own back yard and capturing video of your children.

Maybe just me, but I don't care. In the privacy of your home or your own vehicle is a different story but being watched/recoreded in public or in a privately owned business does not bother me. But my daily activities are pretty boring.

Erik

[Frederick Skelly]

Like Erik, I can deal with surveillance in public. The drones Art mentions could very well become an issue. But my personal favorite intrusion is the guys from google. Curbside views of my house and street, satellite views of my back yard and property - all on the web and free to any crook, nosy passerby, etc who wants to check you out. (Yes, aerial views have been available for years. But they used to cost money to get and that in itself was a small discouragement to folks using it. Now, our dear friends at google give it away.) My neighbor's kid told me he went to google "to see what that rich guy's compound looks like behind his high fence." Probably harmless, but an intrusion nonetheless. And not a dang thing you can do about it.

[glenn bradley]

"1984" was just delayed getting here.....

No, it got hear in a slicker disguise and we have been living it more or less without being aware.

[Mel Fulks]

The Google thing is interesting in that there are some places that the sky view is blocked. I know of one that is an old house owned by a prominent family. Security and warning signs around perimeter ,but complete blackout on above view.

[Rich Riddle]

Mel, look it up on your local GIS.