Ever Get The Feeling Someone Is Watching You?

The citizens of nine out of the top 10 most watched-over cities in the world are Chinese. Over half (54%) of the cameras in use globally are in China. Taiyuan, the largest city in China's Shanxi province, takes the top spot with 465,255 cameras covering nearly 3.9 million people?-?equal to one camera for every eight residents.

London, England is the only non-Chinese city in the top ten and boasts the most closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras of any major city in the world outside of China.?

Facial recognition partnered with CCTV is here to stay but how prolific it will become in the future depends on the citizens of the free world.?

CCTV coupled with facial recognition software has become ubiquitous in China and is rapidly becoming standard government equipment in many other parts of the world. While the use of CCTV cameras has been touted as a means to increase public safety and reduce crime, it has also raised concerns about privacy and civil liberties and is very closely associated with right-wing governments.

These cameras are used to monitor public spaces, such as streets, parks, and shopping malls, as well as private spaces, such as homes and businesses. More governments are implementing the facial recognition system, using CCTV cameras to track the movements of citizens and visitors considered suspicious or a threat to security or more correctly, dictatorial governments.

The use of CCTV cameras in China has been justified on the grounds of public safety and crime prevention but knowing the government of Xi Jinping, this is just a pretext. The Chinese government has claimed that the cameras help to deter criminal activity and aid in the apprehension of criminals, monitor traffic and assist in emergency response situations. However, opposition to the Chinese government's totalitarian rule, claim this is only a small part of the use of CCTV, the main purpose being suppression of supporters of democracy.

The use of CCTV cameras in China has also been criticized for its impact on privacy, civil liberties and free movement of citizens. Critics argue that the cameras are used to monitor and control the behavior of innocent civilians and that the facial recognition system is particularly concerning. This system allows the government to track the movements of all citizens, and the concern that CCTV is being used by dictators and abusive authoritarians to target political dissidents and other groups that are seen as a threat to the government and is well justified.

The use of CCTV cameras in other parts of the world has also raised concerns. Some people argue that the cameras are used to monitor and control the behavior of citizens seen as troublemakers and that they can be used to target certain groups, such as ethnic minorities and citizens exercising their lawful right to protest. In addition, there are concerns about the potential for abuse, such as the use of cameras by law enforcement to conduct unwarranted or unlawful surveillance.

Despite these concerns, the use of CCTV cameras is likely to continue to grow in the coming years. With advances in technology, the cameras are becoming more sophisticated and are able to capture higher-quality images and more data. As a result, they are likely to become even more effective at detecting and preventing criminal activity. However, this also puts at risk people engaged in innocent behavior.

It is important to balance the benefits of CCTV cameras with the potential risks to privacy and civil liberties. Governments and organizations that use CCTV cameras must ensure that they are used responsibly and transparently and that adequate safeguards are in place to protect the rights of the innocent

While CCTV has been touted as a means to increase public safety and reduce crime, opponents have raised concerns about privacy and civil liberties. It is important to strike a balance between the benefits of CCTV cameras and the potential risks, and to ensure that they are used responsibly and transparently.

The price of freedom is constant vigilance against tyranny and autocracy.

Michael Trigg: www.handshakeconsultants.com