Life under the lens

When visiting the north of Ireland in the days of the Troubles, one of the most striking things was the surveillance towers in cities like Belfast and Derry. They were part of the surveillance state, constructed at the time, as part of the ongoing war. These installations were often dressed up in Orwellian terms, suggesting that they were there to protect the population from terrorism etc. The people though knew better. They were well aware that these surveillance structures were about watching them. In Derry, people would say how at army checkpoints, soldiers would tell them what they had been doing in their own houses. It was straightforward intimidation. The people responded, running campaigns against the towers and intimidation. I remember thinking at the time, how people would react in England to such blatant surveillance and invasion of privacy. What if some sort of surveillance structure were sold on the basis of cutting crime? Fast forward to today. The UK is one of the most watched populations in the world. The CCTV led surveillance world abounds. Over 6 million cameras - one per 11 people. It is estimated an individual maybe caught 300 times in a day on camera in London. CCTV has become the equivalent of the surveillance tower. CCTV has been sold as a panacea in stopping crime. People clamour for CCTV in their streets, when crime occurs. The evidence of crime prevention is scarce. Areas that have CCTV often have marginally less crime but whether that is due to stopping crime or simply displacing it to other areas, without cameras, seems a mute point. The spread of the surveillance society in this way has resonation more with dictators down the ages, who always offered security in exchange for liberty. The people of the north of Ireland had the right idea. When the peace process came, the towers came down as part of the settlement - stick your security, we'll have back our liberties. How long before people here wake up to what is going on? Irish Post .