2018年9月13日 星期四

Crime-fighting surveillance planes provoke privacy controversy

 


隱私權被侵犯了嗎?

Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS), a US company, has developed a technology originally used in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to monitor entire neighborhoods by flying special planes over cities. These planes are equipped with 12 high-resolution cameras that capture a wide area of ground activity, creating a "live Google Earth" map. The recorded data is then analyzed to track movements for up to six hours. This technology has helped solve crimes, including murders, by matching recorded events with on-the-ground testimony.

However, privacy advocates are concerned about the implications of this surveillance. Critics argue that PSS's technology encroaches on people's privacy, poses a threat to democracy, and can lead to mistrust in law enforcement. There are concerns about racial profiling and potential misuse of the technology, leading to a chilling effect on free speech and constitutional rights.

PSS maintains that it follows strict privacy policies and controls to ensure responsible use of the technology, but civil liberties concerns have deterred many US police forces from adopting it regularly. As a result, the balance between public safety and individual privacy remains a contentious issue in the debate surrounding crime-fighting surveillance planes.

Not only does the system encroach on people's privacy, but tracking the movements of whole communities poses a threat to democracy.


Such killings happen almost every day in the US and when no witnesses come forward, it can be hard and very costly to convict the perpetrators.

 

But PSS doesn't just see the murders and the criminals. Its cameras look down onto the streets and backyards where everyday activities happen as well.

👉https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29469017