Massachusetts Supreme Court Rules Street Cameras Are Invasion of Privacy

in #news4 years ago


Not all street cameras, but those which are pointed at people's homes and are able to constantly engage in surveillance of those individuals, the court has found that those types of street cameras are an invasion of privacy.

Right now there are millions of CCTV cameras that have been put up around the world. In the United States alone it has been estimated that there might be some 15 CCTV cameras or more for every 100 individuals. Overall there are tens of millions of surveillance security cameras in the U.S., just as you can also find in places like China, the United Kingdom, and other regions.

An Abuse of Power

Just recently, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the constitution prevents police from conducting continuous and long-term surveillance that is targeted at a private home, if they do not have a warrant which authorizes that surveillance.

Increasingly we are seeing cameras being stationed in communities around the world and it looks less and less like it's about any sort of safety, more and more like it's about building a web of ultimate surveillance and control.

In the past, police have mounted cameras to street poles in an effort to watch certain individuals and the court has ruled that they still need a warrant before engaging in that sort of surveillance.

Without a warrant investigators could target any home at any time and they could do it for any reason.

The traditional security of the home, the castle, would be eroded and would mean nothing.

Though the home might not be physically breached, the constant surveillance hardly leaves those living there feeling secure, comfortable, or safe.

Pics:
pixabay