There was a popular song in the 1980s by a band named “Rockwell,” with a chorus that went:
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
And I have no privacy (ooh ooh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Tell me is it just a dream?
Well, I can tell them, and you, that no, it is not a dream – someone is watching you, to the tune of one billion spy cameras in use worldwide.
According to a recent surveillance industry market report, one billion surveillance cameras will be watching around the world in 2021— and more than half of those cameras will be in China. The report comes as experts across the globe are warning about the potential risks of such surveillance technology, including potential access to the data for exploitation by the Chinese government.
There are an estimated 770 million surveillance cameras installed around the world today, and 54% of those cameras are in China, according to a pared-down version of the report, which will soon be made widely available to the media, and to the public.
China is home to some of the world’s largest makers of video surveillance products, such as Hikvision, Huawei and Dahua. China’s push to export surveillance camera technology, including to the US and other Western democracies, has raised concerns over the risk of data being funneled back to Beijing and the growing influence of the Communist Party, experts have suggested.
China has built a vast surveillance state that utilizes cameras powered by facial recognition software, including cameras perched on streets, buildings and lamp posts that can recognize and identify individual faces. Chinese tech companies supply artificial intelligence surveillance technology to 63 countries — of those, 36 have signed onto China’s massive infrastructure project called the Belt and Road Initiative, according to a September report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank.
Some of these “smart city” projects are currently underway in countries like Germany, Spain, and France, according to analysis by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).
While the Chinese government claims such is not the case, it is not far-fetched to believe that somehow, China will be able to retain the ability to access the feeds from everywhere it sells or provides cameras to. Which is something that everyone should be concerned about.
Or, as Rockwell put it:
“I always feel like somebody’s watching me
And I have no privacy (ooh ooh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Who’s playing tricks on me”?
How do you feel about so many spy cameras around? Are they good for public safety, o an invasion of privacy? Do you support the efforts to reexamine these cases?
I am for private surveillance cameras with no ability for the government to monitor them. Facial recognition software is already here, and it can be good, or it can be used for evil. If you do not want to be identified, you will soon have to wear anti photo masks/suits. The other side of that is you can be identified by that option. Some people will decide to run an in home business, and seldom go out.
Of course, if the technology will be used to the detriment of good citizens. Laws will be made by elites to control l people they do not agree with.
Huwei needs to be kept off United States soil and should be categorized as a world espionage organization.
Sorry Fred but the elites are already infringing on our freedom of expression which is the most accurate term by which the vast majority communicate via the Internet such as we are doing now laws need to be drafted, passed, and enacted to prevent the elite from performing tyrannical acts over the vast majority and that will not happen until you make it clear to those elitist establishment politicians that they are the servants and not the masters and the only way to do that is ending establishment politicians through term limits, reverse the current term length 4 terms for senators each term running 2 years, 2 terms Representatives each running 4 years.
A United States Senator can do far more damage to our government and harm to the people in 2 years than any United States Representative could possibly do.
Time and again I have seen the direction we are going and it’s the way of the Chinese gummint and one day America will follow. Especially if one of the present Dem’s gets elected. But people bought into B.O.’s bull and the Indonesian Candidate was able to get evil people into the inner circle and brought an evil religion in which is controlling what children are studying in history. Christianity is downplayed and Islam gets a buildup. Americans will, one day, vote for another who will betray his office and the Constitution. Alas, Babylon!
Orwell was Right.