Dystopian Science Fiction and political allegories such Orwell's 1984 bave often portrayed a future in which the government controls human beings activities and thoughts. Western literature and film from Fahrenheit 451 to Gattaca have portrayed worlds where the goverment or a corporate entity control people via various methods of propaganda, censorship, and surveilance.
So when we think of the idea of a city putting up security cameras on lightposts to record the activities of the populace, it seems a bit off somehow. But there is another reality... security cameras can provide important information for the police. If a crime is committed they can provide clues and evidence. Computer programs can even scan for suspicious packages, unclaimed items, or people who may be loitering in a suspicious manner.
Companies may have security cameras placed near entrances and exits to discourage or solve thefts. They may place cameras in employee parking lots to provide better safety for employees going out to their cars at night. Cameras can act as a deterrent as a savvy criminal might pass over the lot with cameras and hit one down the street that does not have them.
As always, there is a strange balance that must be maintained between our rights and passion for privacy, and the desire for security and rule of law. Companies like ITPlanet.com are selling security cameras to all sorts of companies. So remember the next time you are walking down the hall at work thinking you are alone: don't scratch your butt - you may be on camera.
