Assignment - Long Essay - Are We Building a Surveillance Society?

For many years the UK and the rest of the world have been building what is described as a 'big brother' society. Due to the huge rise in technology during the 20th century, surveillance has become increasingly possible. However, since the digital revolution, it is fair to say that we are no longer building a surveillance society, but are living in one. Of course, this causes immeasurable controversy throughout the world and countless debates have been conducted on the subject, yet it seems that we are powerless to stop it. In order to examine our surveillance society further, it is important to look at the history of surveillance, the areas in which it is increasing and how this affects society today.

The practice of surveillance has been going on for centuries, however it is only in the last 150 years that it has taken a strong hold over our society. Surveillance using technology was first established in the late 1800's, "Wiretapping began as early as the U.S. Civil War, when both sides tapped into the other force's telegraph lines and simply copied down the messages." (http://www.recording-history.org/HTML/surveillance1.php) Since then, it has expanded and grown through audio surveillance, and more commonly today, video and Internet surveillance, and the fact that we now live in a surveillance society has come about for a variety of reasons. As already mentioned, surveillance aided by technology was first used to spy on the enemy and effectively 'steal' information, however technology has evolved so much since then that there are a number of reasons for the increase in surveillance.

Many of the changes in society have arisen from the Government’s desire to cut down on crime and protect society. Initially, the intent was to either deter the occurrence of crimes, or to have a more thorough and secure way of catching and convicting criminals. While this was effective at the time and is still relatively effective today, Governments across the world are now faced with the even bigger problem of international security issues. The terrorist attacks on America in 2001 sparked a panic across the western world which inevitably led to a huge increase in surveillance and tightened security through the introduction of biometrics and stricter controls on passport pictures. While these adjustments are still being introduced today, there are further proposals to increase security by introducing national Identification Cards for everyone in the UK.

In addition to national security, another reason behind the increase in surveillance is the prevention of fraud. Although technology is vital for our society to survive, it is also the cause of many illegal activities as criminals become more subtle about their movements. These are but a few of the main reasons behind the growing trend of surveillance in our society, and through the development and advancements in technology it has only become easier for the Government to implement new techniques to monitor our activities. In order to examine this area further, it is necessary to examine the surveillance techniques which have been introduced over the years.

One method of surveillance which has been in existence for years and is an integral part of our society is video surveillance, "almost as soon as it was invented, the camera was being used to record the faces and other physical characteristics of criminals." (http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/practical_application/surveillance_society_full_report_2006.pdf) The introduction of video surveillance has had a huge impact on our society, none more so than the use of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV). This involves the "use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific, limited set of monitors", (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed-circuit_television) and was first introduced to society in an attempt to reduce crime and increase public security. It has evolved through time to become an integral part of our lives, however there is constant debate that it is simply being overused, "according to statistics, the average citizen is caught on CCTV cameras 300 times a day." (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1789157.stm) Although highly controversial, it is indisputable that video surveillance is a necessity for society as it is proved effective in deterring crime. This point is emphasised by the fact that thousands of homes across the world now use CCTV as a means of extra security. Countless criminals have been caught through the use of CCTV, and although difficult to measure, it is highly likely that they have deterred numerous crimes from happening in the first place. Despite these positive aspects, the use of video surveillance has been the cause of much controversy over the years which shall be discussed later.

Also, one technological advancement which has changed our lives completely is the introduction of the computer, particularly the computer database, "it is this storage capability that has formed perhaps the biggest change already brought about by the information technology revolution." (http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/practical_application/surveillance_society_full_report_2006.pdf) The computer database has made it possible for Government bodies to store intricate details about every person throughout the country. Naturally this is more efficient and timely than a paper based filing system, however it can be a very dangerous tool as the information on these databases can include personal details which could be used for unlawful actions. Despite this danger, it is a highly effective aid for catching criminals as it enables files to be cross referenced and shared worldwide. In addition to this, it is an essential part of some businesses, "the collection, use and communication of large stores of personal data held on citizens are now central to the functioning of private business and the public services." (http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/practical_application/surveillance_society_full_report_2006.pdf) It is probably this point which has caused most controversy in recent years with a huge increase in companies 'cold calling' people whose personal details they have on a database. However, it is difficult to imagine a world without databases; doctor surgeries, dentist surgeries, libraries, even the local video store holds personal details about every customer.

The use of the database will only increase in the future, and this point is highlighted by a new proposal by the government for National Identification cards for every UK resident. The idea behind the national ID cards is that the details (including retinal scan and fingerprints) of each resident in the UK over 16, will be stored on this one card. The details of these have been published on BBC news along with the reasoning behind them; "The government says it wants to give people a sure-fire way of proving they are who they say they are" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3127696.stm). Although they may seem unnecessary, their introduction is essentially to increase national security. The national security issues mentioned earlier have provoked a strong response by the government in the form of further surveillance and security. Their introduction also ensures that each person can be easily identified, in particular those who are residents and those who are non-residents.

However, due to the overwhelming power of the information it will need to be further secured, ensuring that it can only be accessed for the right reasons by the right people. This security problem has come under closer scrutiny recently due to a mishap which occurred with the tax office. Two discs containing the details of over 25 million people went missing when they were sent through the postal service. Mr Darling was quoted apologising saying it was an "extremely serious failure on the part of HMRC to protect sensitive personal data entrusted to it in breach of its own guidelines". (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7103566.stm) This highlights the levels of high security which should be implemented when storing and using data to prevent a situation like this from reoccurring with the ID cards.

New legislation has also promoted increased surveillance, "information technologies have developed enormously and pervade the economies and societies in western states. Their uses are for both good and ill." (Taylor et al, 2001) It is because of this misuse of technology that there is an increase in legislation, and some acts which are playing a part in regulating this misuse include;

The UK Interception of Communications (Lawful Business Practice) Regulations 2000
The UK Anti-Terrorism, Crime & Security Act 2001
The UK Privacy & Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2001

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2001, "updates the law on the interception of communications to take account of technological change such as the growth of the Internet" (http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/legislation/current-legislation/ripa-2000/). Part three of the Act illustrates the increase in surveillance by regulating cryptography. This can impose a requirement of disclosure to anyone in possession of an encryption key if it is for the purpose of national security or preventing crime. Although this seems reasonable in the circumstances, it is again imposing increased surveillance which may not be wholly necessary.

The issue of data retention also contributes to our surveillance society, "the primary objective in government data retention is traffic analysis and mass surveillance." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_retention) Data retention includes phone calls, emails and web sites which have been visited and has been reinforced by the Anti Terrorism and Crime Act which introduced a voluntary regulation on Telephone Operators and Internet Service Providers to retain details of customers. This has been justified as a matter of security and to prevent crime however, some people may be unaware that this information is being tracked and retained and so it could cause major controversy.

These methods of surveillance can have a significant impact on our day to day lives. For instance, video surveillance is in operation in almost every town and city in the country and many people are under the impression that it is overused. As already mentioned, someone can be caught on CCTV cameras up to 300 times a day, which may seem excessive however there is a flip side to the coin. A huge proportion of society ascertain that there are in fact not enough CCTV cameras and the man power behind the surveillance is severely inadequate, "monitoring crime on Glasgow's streets is an impossible task as each CCTV operator has to monitor 50 screens." (McKinnon, 2007) Obviously for one man to monitor fifty screens is an absurd and impossible task. Granted the video tapes can be rewound and criminals can then be caught, but that does not deter the crimes from happening in the first place. In addition to this, the article states that there are no cameras on two of Glasgow's busiest streets which is obviously a worry for residents and regular visitors to the city. For safety reasons, CCTV cameras are a fundamental part of our society and for our own safety and protection, it is vital that they are continually used in the future.

In the case of computer databases, again there are various advantages and disadvantages to it's use. The advantages of increased efficiency and timeliness are obvious to the government, however for society there appear to be more downsides. Cold calling seems to cause the biggest upset among our society as it can seem like a breach of peoples privacy, however many companies survive by using this technique. In light of the recent scandal of the lost discs, there is a huge risk borne by society that their details will fall into the wrong hands. The consequences of an inadequate security system would be disastrous for society, and so the correct measures should be implemented to protect any future projects such as the proposed ID cards. In this case, the government will need to ensure that the database is encrypted and has restrictions on those that can access it. Increased security seems to be the only compromise with databases, as it would be difficult for society to operate without them.

The introduction of Acts such as the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act means that it has become almost impossible for the public to send information that cannot be intercepted in some way. People believe they are sending data which is secure, but this is not the case. It has been argued that this is a breach of "human rights", (Taylor et al, 2001) and it also undermines “e-commerce and the integrity of service providers, as well as causing huge potential costs in global key revocation and change.” (DTI, 1999). This Act could hinder the development of e-commerce as people will become more wary about sending information. Therefore, although this Act is suppose to simply prevent anything unlawful, it could cost a great deal to society to breach personal privacy rather than anything which is criminal.

Data retention will not have an immediate or direct affect on the public, as most will be unaware of its existence. However, data retention does seem to be a complete invasion of privacy and the public will find it difficult to carry out their day to day activities without worrying if they are being watched.

With security issues affecting the UK and other parts of the world, this has been the perfect opportunity for the Government to justify increased surveillance. Whether the majority of surveillance techniques are necessary or not is irrelevant. The fact is, with surveillance comes increased security and reduced crime. Therefore, with the government always striving for their country to be less vulnerable, it seems likely that surveillance will only continue to increase in the future.


References

BBC, 'Q&A: Identity Card Plans', 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3127696.stm, [accessed 26 November 2007]

BBC, 'UK's Families Put on Fraud Alert', 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7103566.stm, [accessed 21 November 2007]

BBC, 'Watching Your Every Move', 2002, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1789157.stm, [accessed 28 November]

DTI, 1999, "Promoting Electronic Commerce: Consultation on Draft Legislation and the Government’s Response to the Trade and Industry Committee’s Report"

Home Office Security, 'Legislation', 2000, http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/legislation/current-legislation/ripa-2000/, [accessed 30 November 2007]

Information Commissioner's Office, 'A Report on the Surveillance Society', 2006, http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/practical_application/surveillance_society_full_report_2006.pdf, [accessed 21 November 2007]

McKinnon, Ross., 2007. Big Brother Isn't Watching, The Evening Times, 26 Nov. p.4-5

Nick Taylor, Yaman Akdeniz, Clive Walker, 2001, "BigBrother.gov.uk: State surveillance in the age of information and rights", Criminal Law review, pp73-90

Recording History, 'The History of Recording Technology', N.D, http://www.recording-history.org/HTML/surveillance1.php, [accessed 28 November 2007]

Wikipedia, 'Closed-circuit Television', 2007, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed-circuit_television, [accessed 2 December 2007]

Wikipedia, 'Telecommunications Data Retention', 2007, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_retention, [accessed 2 December 2007]

This assignment was prepared in collaboration with Katherine Keane