National Geographic article: High-tech surveillance

[Tuor of Gondolin]

The November, 2003 National Geographic Magazine has a provocative article about the way aspects of George Orwell's "Big Brother" surveillance seem to be intruding more on peoples lives, largely with their approval or acquiescence. I wonder what some 'mooters views are, especially U. K. citizens, since the article notes

The United Kingdom has become perhaps the world's most surveilled nation, with more than four million closed-circuit television cameras, including fancy rotating models with wipers to clear the rain

Another quote

Cameras are becoming so omnipresent that all britons should assume their behavior outside the home is monitored.

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The artcle also makes an interesting historical citation of Jeremy Bentham's 18th cenury imagining of a "panopticon" which would monitor all citizens from a giant central tower.

The artcle is balanced, giving reasons for surveillance as well as troubling aspects, and some interesting ideas by cicil rights lawyer Norman Siegel of policy suggestions for such high-tech surveillance.

In the long run are people better off with or without high-tech surveillance? Perhaps difficult to say given the state of thepresent day world