Help! They Know All About Me
"The argument that if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear is described by the report’s authors as 'fallacious and dangerous'. If you know you are being watched you change your behaviour. Do you close the door when you go to the loo? Do you resist the urge to pick your nose while others are present? If so, you are a normal human being. You are also, like it or not, a privacy advocate..."
(more)



Sky Watch: Coming To Your Town?
"The NYPD has installed a patrol tower in a Harlem neighborhood in an effort to cut crime in the high-risk neighborhood.

The two-story booth tower, called Sky Watch, gives the officer sitting inside a better vantage point from which to monitor the area. Officers in the booth have access to a spotlight, sensors, and four cameras. The tower is portable and can be moved to the areas that need it most..."
(more)


UK: Roadside Fingerprint Reading
"Police trials of a hand-held electronic fingerprint reader are being launched. Experts hope the device will save massive amounts of police time and money by allowing officers to identify suspects on the roadside without having to take them to the station."
(more)

Britain is 'surveillance society'
"Fears that the UK would 'sleep-walk into a surveillance society' have become a reality, the government's information commissioner has said.

Richard Thomas, who said he raised concerns two years ago, spoke after research found people's actions were increasingly being monitored.

Researchers highlight 'dataveillance', the use of credit card, mobile phone and loyalty card information, and CCTV.

Monitoring of work rates, travel and telecommunications is also rising."
(more)