My impression over the years has been that there are many vested interests
in allowing unregulated private enterprise surveillance, as recordings of
areas where official surveillance cannot be openly or legally conducted may
then be available. With a remembered reported precedent set some years ago
in the UK that unlawfully obtained evidence may remain legally valid in
court, s.29 controls would be pretty useless.
Information about what areas are covered by private cctv and how to obtain
access certainly used to be a valuable commodity within both those public
and private organisations who may have an interest, so that would also
indicate little pressure exists to respect or protect privacy in any sense
from many of those interesting areas, quite the converse.
In a situation where the private sector are made to feel a need for cctv
protection or gain a financial reward, and many public and private
organisations at times having an interest in some of the data collected,
there is unlikely to be any real pressure to change as a means of respecting
the majority, or because of any potential danger. Also there is a danger
that denying the private sector something apparently financially viable for
the public sector would promote big brother somewhat.
Attempting to shut a flimsy barn door deliberately left open when the herd
is stampeding due to smoke from a long standing bonfire out back does not
bode well for that door, quite the reverse. Speak to the neighbours who
originally lit the fire, they may change their mind once the rubbish is
burnt, but in the circumstances they are just as likely to inconsiderately
continue burning rubbish there in the future. Like people viewing a ship
moored in a bay, some see only a ship with a line entering the sea without
perceiving the anchor underwater at the other end, or the conditions of the
sea and seabed together with the weather forecast, factors which when all
combined determine the appropriate anchor to safely use. I guess that slip
of a viewpoint belongs to those in a damned hurry.
Ian W
> -----Original Message-----
>
> Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 17:25:42 -0000
> From: Ibrahim Hasan <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: ICO Report
>
> The ICO has today published a report about the march of the
> Surveillance Society.
>
> http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/pressreleases/2006/waki
> ng_up_to_a
> _surveillance_society.pdf
>
> What I find frustrating is that whilst public
> authorities(councils, fire, police etc.) are quite heavily
> regulated in how and when they can carry out surveillance of
> people their movements and communications, private
> organisations are in the main only regulated by the Data
> Protection Act 1998 and ICO. Whilst the latter tries, bless
> them, it is just one of a number of areas they have to deal with.
>
> Public authorities are regulated by the Data Protection Act,
> the Human Rights Act and the Regulation of Investigatory
> Powers Act. The latter comes with two/three sets of
> inspectors/commissioners and a Tribunal empowered to
> investigate and award damages to aggrieved parties. There are
> standard Home Office forms to complete and compulsory
> training to attend depending on the type of surveillance
> which is being carried out.
>
> Surely it=92s time the private sector was better regulated?
>
> Ibrahim Hasan
>
> Solicitor and Trainer
> www.informationlaw.org.uk
> =A0
> Tel : 07808 079264
>
> Ibrahim Hasan
> =20
> Solicitor and Trainer
> www.informationlaw.org.uk
>
>
> =20
> Tel : 07808 079264
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