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CCTV surveillance slammed
Use of c-charge cameras is a ‘Trojan horse for mass snooping’ – campaigners
THE botched bomb plot to blow up the Haymarket in June is “no justification whatsoever” for millions of drivers’ details being made accessible to police, campaigners claim.
The Home Office this week released documents revealing that the two bomb-loaded cars had led to a scheme where information logged by the congestion charge cameras are handed over to police surveillance.
The information includes real time footage of drivers, their credit card and mobile phone details.
The details of drivers and footage was supposed to be used for traffic offences – but it is now freely available to police following the discovery of two unexploded devices.
Shami Chakrabarti, director of civil liberties campaigning group Liberty, said this was “totally disproportionate”.
She said: “There is no conceivable way that the congestion charge cameras or traffic cameras can magically detect terrorist reconnaissance or actual attacks before they have happened.
“If there are suspect vehicles then so be it. But that is not justification for the mass surveillance of millions of individuals.
She added: “It is one thing to ask the public for special measures to fight the grave threat of terrorism, but when that becomes a Trojan horse for mass snooping for more petty matters it only leads to a loss of trust in government.”
The philosopher AC Grayling, who has recently written a book on the subject of surveillance, echoed Liberty’s fears.
He said: “I do not believe this government will use this kind of personal data wrongly. But what about future ones. How can they be so sure?”
This decision was officially “signed off” by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith last month without public consultation or parliamentary debate.
A spokesman for the Home Office said: “The commissioner of the Metropolitan Police believes this it is necessary due to the enduring, vehicle-borne terrorist threat to London.
The Met requires bulk data from TfL’s camera network in London specifically for terrorism intelligence purposes and to prevent such offences.”
n Parking chiefs in Westminster Council last week unveiled plans to put up 250 more CCTV cameras in the West End. The cameras will replace dozens of parking attendants and be used by police to combat crime. |
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