New "Game" Encourages Secret Police-Style Spying

[Do4600]

Aside from the ethical issues, I see huge potential for misuse here. Imagine, if you will, a criminal group using this to keep tabs on an armored car they intend to rob. Or a pedophile seeing if there are any loose children available for abduction. Or a mugger seeing who's out and about. Or Al-Qaeda using this to check where their target is for a car bombing; no one would need to be nearby to make sure it goes off at the right time.

This thing is the perfect crime aid.

I have to agree, I think it's a really bad idea to put these video feeds in the hands of the public no matter how far you are from the area you're watching, after all if you're watching the same feed for two hours you could have somebody drive out to the location and communicate through cell phones. Depending on how many people and cameras they have in the network, you could be the only one watching.

What if the people who get it never report a crime even though many crimes have been committed, is there any accountability?

The object of this game is basically hoping to see vandalism, theft, assault, rape and murder for a cash prize, I don't understand how this concept escapes moral judgment.

 

[WiwuX]

I like this a lot better than government surveillance, because this actually adds a huge amount of transparency to the surveillance. As I understand it, anyone can go to the site and see what has happened recently, or see where the cameras are being set up. As long as only public property is monitored, this could turn out a lot better than some alternatives I've been worrying about.

 

[Grimrider6]

I don't know, the old "It's in public, so it's okay" and "If you're not a criminal, what do you have to hide?" mentality really fails to comfort me here. Is nobody considering just how a system like this can be abused? Worse, is nobody concerned about creating the infrastructure for a surveillance state, thus making the job that much easier for the next one that tries to come along?

I mean, sure the system as its proposed right now seems like a good idea at first glance, but consider what tools you're making, and how they could be used later on down the line. You're either not thinking carefully, or are FAR more optimistic about human nature than me.

 

[Triple G]

Dude, I'm totally fucking moving to Siberia and buying me some satellite internet. Fucking control dictatorship state called European Union -.-

 

[Andy Chalk]

No cctv=bad
cctv=good
cctv that is actually watched=bad?

That makes perfect sense if you work from the assumption that the presence of the cameras is a good thing. If you happen to think that the intrusion of the state on your day-to-day life is unacceptable, then it's a different matter entirely. I think it makes a little more sense to say, "CCTV=bad" and then follow that up with "institutionalizing a public spying network in the name of entertainment=worse."

As the man said, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Good luck with making sure those taxpayer dollars aren't wasted, guys.

 

[Deleted]

Kinda sad how people will only do this for money. But eh looks like fun. But those cameras are a bad idea no no I don't want people looking at my personal knitting hour I have privacy and I will die for my rights to watch TV in a room alone naked if I feel like it goddamn.

Dude, I'm totally fucking moving to Siberia and buying me some satellite internet. Fucking control dictatorship state called European Union -.-

Whaddya have to hide eh? Some sorta secret nuclear weapons of MASS-uh DESTRUCTION-uh?

 

[Asehujiko]

No cctv=bad
cctv=good
cctv that is actually watched=bad?

That makes perfect sense if you work from the assumption that the presence of the cameras is a good thing. If you happen to think that the intrusion of the state on your day-to-day life is unacceptable, then it's a different matter entirely. I think it makes a little more sense to say, "CCTV=bad" and then follow that up with "institutionalizing a public spying network in the name of entertainment=worse."

As the man said, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Good luck with making sure those taxpayer dollars aren't wasted, guys.

People complaint about the lack of security whenever there are no cameras all the time and only whine about there being cameras when they are caught doing something embarrassing or after a scare campaign. And there's a major difference between increasing your security staff to actually match their equipment and soviet style elementary school classes on how to find out if your parents are traitors.

I have no problem with cameras in public spaces, because that's what they are, public, and it shouldn't make a difference if there's somebody standing next to you or looking at a screen a few miles away. Where in the article does it say that it's mandatory to have one in your living room?

 

[whaleswiththumbs]

I'm gonna' need a bigger tin-foil hat..............

P.S. Is this world-wide, or just in Europe?

I hope to god it is gonna be worldwide, even if its only of UK folks, a chance for $600 by watching people. maybe I'll just have a recording program ready incase anything happens that i cant report.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

I'm gonna' need a bigger tin-foil hat..............

P.S. Is this world-wide, or just in Europe?

Looks like just the UK. So I guess instead of watching Big brother, you get to get watched by him.

Oh noes, Orwell wuz right!

This is some strange shit. I hope they don't come through with it. I'd rarther get brutally murdered in plain sight than to be spied on.
I'm not even sure if that was sarcastic. Hmph.

 

[TMAN10112]

I'm gonna' need a bigger tin-foil hat..............

P.S. Is this world-wide, or just in Europe?

I hope to god it is gonna be worldwide, even if its only of UK folks, a chance for $600 by watching people. maybe I'll just have a recording program ready incase anything happens that i cant report.

I just don't feel safe while being watched by cameras, let alone ones with people who are just praying that you'll do something illeagal, so that they can report you for money.

If this ever does go world-wide, I'm moving into the Adirondaks, where there isn't a working camera for hundreds of miles (I'm not joking, I really would move as far away from the city as possible).

 

[Kiutu]

My only true problem is doign sometihng embarrasing and gettign caught. Sometimes you just HAVE to scratch/pick ____.

 

[laserwulf]

1.)What's to prevent a stalker from abusing this to spy on a specific person, if they know the target's movement patterns?

2.)Will convicted paedophiles be blocked from using this around places where children congregate?

3.)Couldn't criminals use this to safely "case" a location, for things like frequency of police patrols, or places for concealment? ...or for coordination of their operatives' movement, using cellphones?

This just sounds like a Pandora's Box of epic proportions, all in the names of Security and Greed.
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

 

[awmperry]

There are a number of things that people should bear in mind before getting outraged:

Firstly, the viewers don't have any control about what camera they watch, nor can they find out what location it's showing.

Secondly, the "rogues' gallery" thing is not true, according to the organisation's FAQ There won't be any risk of retribution.

Thirdly, it's not a game. They're not plugging it as a game, so that seems to be something a journalist has made up simply by dint of the system being on a computer.

So it's not a crime aid, it's not entertainment, it's not a problem.

What IS still a concern, though, is the situation as far as the SIA certification is concerned. I'd be interested to hear what the answer to that question is.

 

[jthm]

Maybe I'm just tired and not reading this right, but does this mean that I could play from my home in the states and inform on British citizens for possible rewards?

If so... ROCK ON!

 

[Andy Chalk]

Thirdly, it's not a game. They're not plugging it as a game, so that seems to be something a journalist has made up simply by dint of the system being on a computer.

I have a bit of an issue with that point. From the FAQ:

"Internet Eyes will not be issuing prizes in a game style fashion." Okay, fair enough, that sounds reasonably non-game-like. But that line is immediately followed by this: "Internet Eyes will, however, reward viewers a minimum of £1,000, issued to the highest crime scoring member every month."

So... what? It's not a game, but whoever racks up the highest score every month gets a prize? That sounds mighty game-like to me.

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

So the cameras are only in the UK, but anyone can watch them, right?
I may need to change my plan of making money by monitering people and selling their information on the internet (being serious here) because apparently everyone's gonna be doing it.

All in all, the more I think about it, the more I realize that this could be bad.

 

[kotorfan04]

This is a good start, but it will not prevent crime, what we must do is make certain anti-patriotic thoughts illegal and spy on people that seem discontent... Then we shall make the world crime and emo free.
Whoops, forgot where I was... Spying on people is not nice.

 

[Remember_the_name]

So 35 years from now when a less benevolent government is in place and this wonderful cctv system is in place they would be able to nail you for most anything. I fail to see why people trust their government so much. One major crisis, and government can seize power(that it wont give back) Or a government gets so big that it's unmovable. (cause they own your job supply your education, your healthcare, and you can't fight that.)

Anyways thats my 2 cents on CCTV, this program will fail, but I think it's horrible. Yes lets motivate people to spy on each other, nothing sinister about that.....

EDIT, and just how good is this camera system. At target our indoor cameras can read writing on a check, and our outdoor camera can read the writing on a drink can in someones car from accross the parking lot(200ft).

 

[Ryuk2]

Oh, god, that's so amazing.