The main objective of this paper is to expound on my views concerning the United Kingdom as a surveillance society. In this paper, I have provided detailed information on how Britain proves to be a surveillance society.
Surveillance is an act of strictly observing behaviour, actions, movements, or people’s modes of communication. Many people in the world think of surveillance as the broad use of Close Circuit Television (CCTV). However, surveillance encompasses diverse methods incorporated in observing levels of security in a given state. Other methods like biometrics and Local Area Networks contribute to surveillance. All practiced types of surveillance contribute immensely to the promotion of security in states that use them. Surveillance is also a source of worry to many citizens residing in states that overemphasize the observance of security. For instance, the installation and maintenance of surveillance materials such as CCTV are very expensive, hence the over-taxation of citizens (Benyon 1987, p.87). In addition, the installation of surveillance materials bars citizens from the right to privacy.
The UK’s level of surveillance is alarming. Britain contains about thirty percent of the world’s installed CCTV cameras. In fact, Manchester City has approximately 70 installed CCTVs whereas London has more than 300 cameras installed in the streets (Taylor, Evans and Fraser 1996, 117). Citizens of the UK are ever dictated on what to do and what not to; they lack the freedom of enjoying their life details. Their mode of living is exposed to the government. Below are technological surveillance measures observed in the UK that have led to its change into a “Hellish Surveillance Society”.
In Britain, video cameras are installed almost everywhere. They are installed in buildings to monitor the daily activities of people spending most of their time within them. They are also installed in every street to record the day and night activities that take place in the streets. The government of the UK has also advanced and installed video cameras in residential areas. The installation of video cameras in residential areas provides significant security to citizens of the UK. However, the installation of video cameras in residential areas also denies UK citizens the right to privacy. Furthermore, the UK has invented automatic systems that play a crucial role in identifying vehicle number plates. The automatic identification of number plates contributes immensely towards advancing the level of security in the UK. The installation of video cameras and the use of automatic systems in checking vehicle’s number plates proves that Britain is a surveillance society.
CCTV use in Britain started in the early 1980s. Its main objective was to observe the activities that were taking place in the streets of Britain in order to minimize the rate of crimes that were taking place in Britain. Thread of terrorism, crimes, and hoodlumism are among the reasons that led to Britain increasing the number of its CCTVs in various streets. For instance, there are over 4 million CCTV cameras installed in Britain, approximately fourteen people in Britain are monitored by one CCTV camera, and by the end of the day, one person is likely to have been captured by about three hundred CCTV cameras (Murray 1984, p. 157). Research carried shows that the government of the UK utilizes about 500 million pounds of public money in investing in CCTV infrastructure(Drake et al 2010, p. 101). Compared to other countries, Britain monitors its citizens very much. In fact, there is no other country in the world that competes with Britain in terms of the number of CCTV cameras installed.
In the United Kingdom, there is a great use of electronic tags. The electronic tags are attached to persons under probation as bracelets enhancing easy monitoring of their movements. The United Kingdom also uses DNA samples in keeping track of its suspects. DNA samples of people arrested within the UK are taken by policemen regardless of them being guilty or innocent. The use of tags and DNA samples depicts how strict the government of Britain undertakes security issues.
Additionally, to boost its level of surveillance, the United Kingdom emphasizes the use of biometric cards where the citizens of the UK are ever asked to prove their identity in order to access important services such as healthcare. In addition, currently, the government of the UK has got plans of improving its security system through advancing its use of biometric ID cards. It has also the plan of introducing biometric fingerprints and scanners that can memorize body parts such as the eye iris. In addition, the UK has got a plan of linking biometric ID cards, fingerprints, and scanners with individual databases of information to enhance the maintenance of high security in the UK. It is evident worldwide that the use of biometrics plays a significant role in advancing the security of a state, thus the use of biometrics in the UK proves it as a surveillance society.
Traveling from one country to another involves the use of passports; the same applies when individuals travel abroad. The passports provide detailed information about one’s names, citizenship, and destination. Unlike other nations, the UK uses computer chips instead of paper passports in meeting traveling demands. In addition, the government of the UK is planning to introduce biometric passports to replace the computer chip types of passports (Newman 1972, p.103). With biometric types of passports, the government of the UK will manage to monitor all the details of an individual. In sum, biometric passports will reduce the cases of passport forging hence advancing the surveillance in the UK. Additionally, biometrics will aid in providing accurate information, thus reducing cases of variance in the information provided by the body.
Britain has also advanced from using manual systems in identifying and checking things. Most schools in the UK use smart cards and biometric cards in identifying children. There is also the use of biometrics in the UK, the biometric cards aid greatly in monitoring the type of food eaten in schools, hence lowering the chances of children being poisoned. The biometric cards and smart cards also assist many schools in the UK in identifying the borrowed books and the borrowers, hence easy track of the lost books (House of Lords Select Committee 2009, p. 113). This broad use of smart cards and biometrics also portrays the level of security in the UK.
To enhance security, the government of the UK advocates for use of electronic transactions. Most schools in the UK use smart cards as credit cards; the money is electronically debited into the smart cards and then used in smaller transactions such as buying stationery and meals within the institutions. The use of smart cards in transactions is secure, the smart cards are portable and they can only be accessed by cracking the security codes. In the UK, smart cards also aid in advancing the security of some sensitive areas such as libraries, laboratories and cybercafés. The use of smart cards restricts the entry of people by allowing only bona fide persons to enter sensitive areas. Via the use of smart cards, students can easily access their academic information since the institution information can be linked and synchronized online and easily accessed by swiping the smart cards on specific teller machines.
Compared to other nations, the UK uses software more widely in monitoring citizens. The government of the UK via the use of software monitors the daily expenditure of its citizens. It also uses the software to analyze the data sold to diverse enterprises in the UK. The use of the software by the UK in determining the daily expenditure of its citizens enables it to determine the amount of money it will lend to its citizens. It does this in order to regulate the occurrence of crimes such as participation in drug smuggling and abuse of drugs by its citizens (Evans et al 1992, 78). The government of the UK also manages to lower the rate of crimes in the UK via its monitoring of trade transactions of its citizens in different business entities.
Information passed across telecommunication networks such as landline telephones and mobile phones can be easily tapped and analyzed to monitor issues that are trending. Social networks including Facebook, Twitter and Skype can also be analyzed in order to lower the level of insecurity in a given state.
Unlike other nations, the government of the UK highly advocates for tapping and screening of information sent by its citizens via mobile phones, emails and social networks through the aid of the British intelligence service. The act of the UK analyzing information sent by these devices proves the UK as a surveillance society.
Many companies in the UK have installed video cameras in various working offices. The main reason for the installation of such video cameras is to monitor the activities of employees that take place within the organizations. Likewise, the companies also install video cameras to monitor their employees’ performance and productivity, hence enhancing the advancement of the UK economically. Video cameras also enhance the achievement of extra security in organizations, they aid in identifying illegal acts that may be taking place within organizations (Dingwall 1999, p. 67). The installation of video cameras in working fields reflects the high level of surveillance in the UK.
The cases of terrorism in the UK are very minimal; this is due to the high surveillance practiced in Britain. The majority of the organizations in the UK also use the installed video cameras to eradicate the theft cases that may be practiced by its employees. To advance their security, most organizations in the United Kingdom also provide their employees with computer chips that contain their identification information. The employees use the provided computer chips to enter and access many benefits within the companies in which they work.
The low accident cases in Britain show that the rate of surveillance in Britain is very high. In the UK, the number-plating of vehicles UK aids in registering the information of the owners hence enhancing the reduction of illegal activities within the UK. Most of the vehicles within the UK are installed with tracking devices. The tracking devices aid immensely in reducing the levels of insecurity in the UK, they enable the police department to monitor and detect illegal activities within the transport system at an early stage, hence, lowering the level of insecurity in the society (Drake et al 2010, p. 101). Moreover, the government of the UK uses tracking devices in monitoring the rate of business activities carried out by vehicles, hence, enhancing the collection of enough taxes for economic development. Companies in the UK also use the software chips installed in their vehicles to monitor how their employees handle their vehicles. The invention of cameras that detect vehicle over-speeding has also led to a reduction of levels of death and injuries on UK roads. In addition, the high observance of security within Britain has contributed significantly to the boosting of the UK’s economy, this is evident from the over-penalization practiced in Britain (Loader 1997, p. 157).
The UK has also invested in the installation of street cameras that are fixed with devices that detect and recognize number plates. This contributes positively towards the reduction of motorcycle accidents.
Surveillance in the UK has also advanced to the level of tracking people, the majority of the citizens of Britain are being monitored via their smart cards and phones. The UK also uses satellites extensively in observing the daily activities of its citizens. With the installed satellites, the UK security department manages to monitor criminal activities such as terrorism. The extensive use of satellites in Britain explains why there are very low cases of terrorism in the UK compared to other nations.
Compared to other nations, the United Kingdom uses extensive computer databases in meeting its surveillance objectives. The UK government and organizations use a computer database to store a substantial amount of personal data of citizens and employees respectively. With aid of the computer, various sets of data can be matched to enhance the identification of suspicious activities within the UK, hence, enabling the lowering of crimes (Evans and Herbert 1989, p. 77). Just like other nations, the UK uses personal data contained in the computer’s database to trail various transactions that take place between its citizens and various organizations hence lowering the chances of occurrence of frauds within the UK. With the aid of the database, the UK has also managed to reduce national borders into small smart borders resulting in a reduction of chances of occurrence crimes.
It is also true that Britain utilizes more than $4.5 million in providing total security to the American embassy, Ecuadorian. The $4.5 million is only spent on the police surveillance surrounding this embassy. The main reason for the overproduction of surveillance to the Ecuadorian Embassy is to avoid offending the United States (Cohen 1985, p. 97).
The public is entitled to protection by the government. Surveillance studies in the UK show that more than 78 % of the houses and offices in the UK have installed CCTV cameras (Drake et al 2010, p. 105); in addition, over 500 million pounds have been invested in the installation of CCTV in the streets of the UK. All these contribute to the coexistence of a peaceful atmosphere in the UK. The recorded information via CCTVs also aids immensely in handling criminal trials in courts. With the installation of CCTVs, the government of the UK has managed to reduce cases of terrorism within the UK.
High surveillance in the UK has also assisted greatly in the reduction of road accidents within the UK; the government of the UK over-penalises persons involved in violation of traffic rules enhancing strict observation of traffic rules. In addition, Britain has managed to advance rapidly economically due to the collection of lump-sum amounts of money from offenders.
Unlike citizens in other nations, the citizens of the UK fear going against the law. They fear airing out their grievances to the government on the negative effects of high surveillance. Anyway, from my point of view, the UK’s surveillance is very harmful; the use of surveillance tools such as CCTVs cause controversy, they bar citizens from enjoying their rights. For instance, it is only in Britain that citizens are barred from exercising their privacy rights (Davis 1990, p. 81).
High levels of surveillance in the UK have also led to the reduction of human creativity. The majority of the citizens of the UK fear to come with innovations that require the performance of experiments. This is because of the coexisting relation of terrorism with experiments. It is also true that even with the multi-installation of CCTVs, crimes are likely to happen since the CCTVs are usually not able to cover all areas required. The invention and use of the CCTV s contributes to the advancement of creativity of criminals, criminals in the UK manage to innovate new ways of committing crimes. For instance, the criminals easily thwart the cameras by enclosing them or by sticking substances such as chewing gums on the lenses of the cameras. In addition, people familiar with the position of the cameras easily commit crimes by omitting recording zones (Cowell 1982, p. 71). Incorrect positioning of the CCTV cameras also contributes to the continuity of advancement of crimes; cameras incorrectly positioned do not record illegal acts taking place in high traffic streets (Campbell 1993, p.78).
Technology evolves day by day, therefore, there is a great need for the advancement of the mode of security in the UK. These advocates for continuous changing of the types of CCTVs in the UK, a reason why the UK uses a lot of money compared to other nations in installation and maintenance of the CCTVs. Failure of this will result in the production of incompatible evidence against criminals. In addition, the CCTVs in recording an incident may leave out crucial information such as concealed weapons, hence inaccuracy in the provision of evidence against crimes (Downes 1989, p. 91). The demand for protection by the CCTVs also contributes promotion of crimes, the CCTVs are known to be sensitive to hostile conditions and as a result, they are installed in indoor places.
Installation of CCTV cameras is very expensive. The act of the UK government of installing CCTV cameras in the whole of Britain leads to over-taxation of its citizens. Installation of CCTV cameras can only be carried out by experts; they also need to be monitored regularly hence resulting in the rise of the government expenditure.
In conclusion, the rate of surveillance in Britain is greater than in any other country in the world. Britain has invested greatly in the field of security. Over 500 million pounds are used every year by the government of Britain in installing elements of surveillance. Every street in Britain is installed with many CCTVs, that is, approximately fourteen Britain citizens are monitored by one camera. The increase in the level of security in Britain bars its citizens from enjoying the freedom of privacy. In addition, the high levels of security within Britain have deprived its citizens of the chance of advancing their innovativeness, the majority of the citizens of Britain fearing expressing their views concerning development. The financing of the security system in Britain has contributed to the over-taxation of its citizens. Additionally, the citizens of Britain are heavily penalized when involved in crimes such as poor observance of traffic rules.
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