Video Surveillance deployed inside London Public Bathrooms

Image via Wikipedia

clipped from www.networkworld.com You can imagine my surprise after I paid my 50pence to use the public bathroom, walked in and found myself staring at not just one but three ceiling mounted video surveillance cameras. I had to get real close to their enclosures to convince myself that I wasn't seeing things. Not only was it really there, but it was a Pan-Tilt-Zoom model with a microphone to top it off. Must get some great noises coming from there. It has also been reported that London officials are now installing cameras with speakers to allow them to talk as well as see and listen. Perhaps its just me, but I had absolutely no idea that this was legal anywhere, let alone in downtown London, UK. Sure I knew that London has more cameras per square mile than any other country on the planet, but in bathrooms?! How are they getting away with that one? It is appalling! U.S. cities (like my hometown of Denver) have begun installing their own public video surveillance systems in a big way

Related articles by Zemanta

• Even the public toilets in London have video cameras (americablog.com)
• Time For - This Week In Spying On Your Neighbors (dvorak.org)
• Schoolchildren 'routinely monitored' by CCTV (telegraph.co.uk)
• UK government wants to secretly read your postal mail (boingboing.net)
• We don't need secret surveillance cameras | SA Mathieson (guardian.co.uk)
• Counter Surveillance Camera: what are you looking at? (dvice.com)
• Spy cameras won't make us safer (cnn.com)
• JETprotect CS300K Long Range Counter Surveillance Camera (ubergizmo.com)
• Why is the NYPD promoting this animal cruelty video? (trueslant.com)