"if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you worry about it?"]]]]

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

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- -------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [IP] "if you are not doing anything wrong, why should you
worry about it?"]]]
Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 13:18:02 -0800
From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
To: dave () farber net
CC: lauren () vortex com


Dave,

The key questions about such camera installation proposals are less
about the cameras themselves then about what is done with the data
that they collect (just like with so many other privacy issues, data
retention is at the heart of the matter).  Modern digital systems
can cheaply collect and archive video data essentially permanently,
vs. older tape-based systems that are by any measure much more of a
hassle.  Also, digital video systems are subject to high speed
searching and analysis in a much more straightforward manner.

So, some of the questions to ask:

  - If a city mandates installation of cameras at private locations,
    who owns and controls the videos that result?

  - What will be required for authorities to gain access to the videos?
    Court order?  Any investigation in progress?  Rumors?

  - How long will resulting video data be retained?  Will it ever
    be expunged?  Are copies obtained by authorities kept
    by them permanently?

  - What technologies will be applied to these videos for analysis
    by authorities?  To what extent will the data from different
    cameras/locations be subject to broad cross-referencing and
    integration on either a short-term or long-term basis?

  - What oversight (if any) will be in place to ensure that the data
    from these video systems will not be abused?  (We know from past
    cases that without oversight such systems can definitely be
    subject to abuse, by both authorities and others.)

  - What sorts of permanent investigative files will be kept based
    on the data from these video systems?

  - Will authorities have the right to collect or otherwise make use
    of "incidental" information obtained while analyzing this video
    data, that was not part of any original, specific investigative
    focus?

  - Can authorities demand realtime transmission of video from
    private establishments?  Can they require routine delivery
    of all video from such establishments on a recurring basis?

When these kinds of systems are proposed as part of law
enforcement's typical "you have no right to privacy in public places"
mantra, questions such as those above have often not been fully
considered or realistically discussed.

- --Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
   - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, IOIC
   - International Open Internet Coalition - http://www.ioic.net
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com



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