When we all control the cameras
Posted by William Heath in Faster/smaller/better..., unexpected consequences at March 27th, 2007
Look at this webcam at Stuttgart airport - you can control it, and see the results. This is The Transparent Society described in David Brin’s controversial book. Does sousveillance by “us” cancel out surveilllance from “them”, or does it compound the unexpected consequences?
See http://www.defeatingthehacker.com/videoham/
March 27th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Depends who’s doing it and how. Steve Mann has for years wandered around encamera’d, and he can be extremely aggressive about taking pictures. I don’t think that cancels anything out; if anything people like store employees get doubly harassed and surveilled - once by their employers and once by Mann (or people copying him).
On the other hand, when it comes to police beating up protesters, such webcams might provide some ability to adjust the balance of power in the right direction.
wg
March 29th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
I suppose it’s easier to agree we need to have rules when this cuts both ways. If it’s all one way traffic (eg to inevitable central control) then there’s not much discussion to be had.