What's Your Opinion on Surveillance?
A couple of things recently have brought this topic to the forefront of my brain.
So, on TikTok I’ve recently been seeing a barrage of women getting punched in the head in New York City? What the hell?
One of the girls said that she contacted the police and ended up getting the security footage from a nearby bodega. I was just thinking to myself, “What’s up with the victim being responsible for finding her perpetrator?” It raises one of two questions—that of surveillance and the other, an American foundation - “innocent until proven guilty.”
I’m not getting into the legal stuff because that’s a different can of worms. But I did want to discuss surveillance. For example, in China, people are being surveilled in public pretty much all the time. And they know they are being watched. They have “Social Scores.” From what I can gather on trusty Wiki, China has a prolific snitching culture, and it has since the 1970s. While I find some of that akin to the Salem Witch trials and classic he said, she said, does their surveillance fundamentally protect people better?
Also, according to Wiki, there are 450 million cameras in China… and growing. Does this do a better job of protecting people? Would the women assaulted in NYC find swifter justice against their perpetrators?
No American can deny the fact that we are also being watched… but for different purposes and in other ways. The NSA is operating under a very vague system of “stopping terrorists”. Yet, we know the data they collect has found its way into the hands of individuals. Edward Snowden famously exposed that colleagues were collecting and sharing nude photos of women that were not consented to be shared or seen by other people.
Americans also can’t deny that they love surveilling other people. Ring Cameras and other front doorbell security systems record people. Most bars and restaurants also have cameras for security. You ARE being watched pretty much everywhere you go—even in local neighborhoods. People are free to post that footage on any social media platform. As long as you’re the one in control, it seems to be okay!
While discussing this topic with a friend of mine, we concluded that the human element of surveillance is the issue. Data mining is unstoppable, but what happens with that data is the issue. No, those women didn’t consent for their nudes to be shared. What happens with all those videos, recorded phone calls, etc? The human element is what makes me distrustful. Am I being kept safe, or is every move I make being observed?
Yes, surveillance is a tactic to keep people safe - but at what expense? Does it work? Would “Social Score” work in America? Fuck no. It fundamentally opposes the belief that we have a right to certain freedoms. As my stepdad famously told me, “I have a right to speed and not get caught.” He got a speeding ticket from a machine and not a human. This changed something in my brain… Ironically, we Americans have the right to break the law and not get caught. Innocent until proven guilty. Surveillance has changed that… guilty when guilty.
Do you have the right to break the law and not get caught?
Now I do know for a fact that you cannot film in public without the consent of the people being filmed in Switzerland. If someone were to find footage of themselves online, they could sue you if they didn’t sign written consent. Especially if it’s a video, they don’t want to be made public. And guess what? They would win in court every time. Think of how many videos you see of “Karens” in public behaving questionably in the States. Whether they’re acting crazy or not, Swiss people could have the video removed. As I said before - surveillance seems to be okay when you’re the one doing it.
But that’s the whole problem, isn’t it? Once you have control of the data, you can do what you wish with it in the States. I mean, it can’t save you from libel or defamatory suits, but you can keep that vidoe for yourself as your right. You have your own right to watch other people. Hopefully not creepily. I mean, we’ve all seen what some Airbnb Owners have done, right? Another subtopic that I want to acknowledge - but not talk about here. They can claim safety reasons and you can distrust that those people want to see what you’re doing in their house.
In the States, you still maintain some right to privacy, even in public. Most bars and restaurants have cameras for safety, but if you cross that line of data sharing that shouldn’t be shared, you’re treading in dangerous waters. We put a lot of trust into the people who collect. Is it always being used for the right purpose? Obviously not.
Suppose you don’t break the law, aren’t participating in terrorist activities, or are putting other people in danger. In that case, realistically, that data should go bye-bye, at least in my opinion. There’s hardly a way to get around being watched. I think it's okay in some ways. Still, I would love to know if you’d prefer a Social Score system, whereby your every public action ranks you amongst your peers, being monitored by the United States government’s NSA, or if you trust every independent person you know collecting data.
I don’t know what I think. I wonder if, in China, the fact that there are public monitoring systems prompts some restaurants, bars, clubs, stores, etc, to NOT have their own security systems. Would those girls in NYC find justice swifter? Who knows. Do I like the idea of my neighbor knowing when I’m coming and going? Not really. But they have the right to know when strangers approach their doors. I think Americans are becoming extremely paranoid people. Not all wrong reasons, but internet clout for catching people “in the act” seems fairly popular, too.
I don’t really want to be watched. But I am. So are you. I don’t care about watching other people. But I want to feel safe.
Ciao for now,
xoxoxoxoCait