[The UK gets dottier by the year.  What was until recently 
stock-in-trade in science fiction has now been announced for 
Stratford-on-Avon.

[Is there nothing to prevent any person or business from setting up a 
camera and live-streaming to the Web?  Well, maybe there is if 
there's a defence installation within the scope of the camera ...

[And is there nothing to constrain a government agency from making a 
live-feed available?

[The UK ICO's guide says at 8.2:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/cctv_code_of_practice_html/8_looking.html
"it would not be appropriate to ... place [images of identifiable 
individuals] on the internet"

[But it is of course no more than a toothless guide.


Internet game that awards points for people spotting real crimes on 
CCTV is branded 'snooper's paradise'
Daily Mail Reporter
October 5, 2009
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218225/Internet-game-awards-points-people-spotting-crimes-CCTV-cameras-branded-snoopers-paradise.html>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218225/Internet-game-awards-points-people-spotting-crimes-CCTV-cameras-branded-snoopers-paradise.html

A new internet game is about to be launched which allows 'super 
snooper' players to plug into the nation's CCTV cameras and report on 
members of the public committing crimes.

The 'Internet Eyes' service involves players scouring thousands of 
CCTV cameras installed in shops, businesses and town centres across 
Britain looking for law-breakers.

Players who help catch the most criminals each month will win cash 
prizes up to £1,000.

The Internet Eyes' website will also feature a rogue's gallery of the 
so-called 'criminals' along with a list of their offences and which 
internet user caught them.

But civil rights campaigners today condemned the game, which launches 
in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, next month, and branded it 'a 
snoopers paradise'.

They claim nosey neighbours could snoop on homeowners putting the 
wrong rubbish in bins and even motorists guilty of the most minor 
misdemeanors. 

But businessman Tony Morgan, a former restaurant owner, said it would 
give local businesses protection against petty criminals, and act as 
a deterrent once 'Internet Eyes patrol here' signs are prominently 
displayed.

He will charge those who use the service, which could eventually 
include local authorities and even police forces as well as shop 
owners, £20 a week per camera to have their CCTV included on the site 
- amounting to thousands each year.

He said: 'This could turn out to be the best crime prevention weapon 
there's ever been.

'I wanted to combine the serious business of stopping crime with the 
incentive of winning money.

'There are over four million CCTV cameras in the UK and only one in a 
thousand gets watched. 

'Crimes are bound to get missed but this way people the cameras will 
be watched by lots of people 24-hours-a-day.

'It gives people something better to do than watching Big Brother 
when everyone is asleep.

'We've had a lot of interest from local businesses and hope to roll 
it out nationwide and then worldwide.'

He said the team had seen a wave of support and denied that liberties 
were being affected.

'There are more than four million cameras in the UK so everybody is 
on camera already, it is just that no one is watching the cameras.'

Players collect points by watching the cameras, which show CCTV 
images in real-time, and click a button every time they see something 
suspicious taking place.   

An SMS or text message, along with a still image of the alleged 
crime, is sent to whoever controls the camera. They can then decide 
whether or not to take action.

The camera controller will send a feedback email back to the player 
indicating whether a crime has taken place.

Players are awarded one point for spotting a suspected crime and 
three points if they see someone committing an actual crime.  Players 
also lose points if the camera operator rules that the alert was not 
a crime.

The game has been condemned by civil rights campaigners who claim it 
will encourage people to spy and snitch on each other.

Charles Farrier, director of the No-CCTV pressure group, said: 'It is 
an appalling idea for a game and will create a snoopers paradise.  

'It is something which should be nipped in the bud immediately. It 
will not only encourage a dangerous spying mentality by turning crime 
into a game but also could lead to dangerous civil rights abuses.

'What if a group of racists decide to send alerts every time a black 
person is seen on screen and what's stopping criminals using the 
cameras to scope out where to commit crimes.' 

James Woodward, head of the technical team for Internet Eyes, which 
is based in Devon and Stratford-upon-Avon, said safeguards - 
including blocking players out for sending three incorrect alerts - 
would prevent the game being abused.  

He said: 'For privacy reasons users will not know the location of the 
cameras. They will find it very difficult to work out where the 
camera is.  

'It is possible that someone who is blocked out could see a crime 
taking place but be unable to alert the operator.

'But it is probably safe to assume someone else looking at the same 
camera will raise the alarm.

'Whoever has a CCTV camera, be it the police, local authorities or 
business or home owners can sign up to have their cameras watched. We 
hope to include police cameras very soon.'

The game will initially use CCTV cameras in shops and businesses in 
Stratford-upon-Avon but will be rolled out across Britain by December 
before going worldwide next year.

Last month it was revealed that Britain has 4.2 million CCTV cameras 
- the equivalent of one per 14 people - one-and-a-half-times as many 
as Communist China.


-- 
Roger Clarke                                 http://www.rogerclarke.com/
			            
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
                    Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:[log in to unmask]                http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre      Uni of NSW
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University

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