Britain To Put CCTV Cameras Inside Private Homes

[OwnedByFerrets]

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/britain-to-put-cctv-cameras-inside-private-homes/

"As an ex-Brit, I’m well aware of the authorities’ love of surveillance and snooping, but even I, a pessimistic cynic, am amazed by the governments latest plan: to install Orwell’s telescreens in 20,000 homes.

£400 million ($668 million) will be spend on installing and monitoring CCTV cameras in the homes of private citizens. Why? To make sure the kids are doing their homework, going to bed early and eating their vegetables. The scheme has, astonishingly, already been running in 2,000 family homes. The government’s “children’s secretary” Ed Balls is behind the plan, which is aimed at problem, antisocial families. The idea is that, if a child has a more stable home life, he or she will be less likely to stray into crime and drugs."

This is so amzingly scary I dont even know what to say. Can you say 1984? I knew you could.

[MrScorpio]

1. How very Orwellian

George certainly knew his England

[Captain Hilts]

2. CCTVs are EVERYWHERE in England. nt

[hobbit709]

3. Fuck that

there would be serious trouble if someone tried that with me. Starting with malfunctioning cameras.

[SeriousEbony]

4. Do we blame the sheep or the wolves?

It is disgusting either way.

[Vickers]

5. Shouldn't they be concentrating their efforts on "pleasure model" replicants instead?

:shrug:

[OwnedByFerrets]

17. Great post!!!!

[rockymountaindem]

6. There's no actual link to a news story in that post

How do we know it's for real?

[MNDemNY]

9. It's on the interweb, it's got to be real.

[livvy]

7. And here's more on the subject.

I couldn't tell from the first article if people had a choice in this. From this article it seems they don't ("This is pretty tough and non-negotiable support for families to get to the root of the problem. There should be Family Intervention Projects in every local authority area because every area has families that need support.”).

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/115736/Sin-bins-for-worst-families

:wow:

[leeroysphitz]

8. That's hot.

[Odin2005]

10. Big Brother is watching YOU!

:puke:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

11. Natural progression. Millions of CCTVs on the streets of the UK, so why not in "troubled"

homes? From "troubled" homes to all homes......

[solstice]

12. And yet there is not one example of spying on American citizens by BushCo that

Obama's admin. has not vociferously defended.

For all we know, we are all being spied on inside our homes by systems put in place by BushCo that we know nothing about. And if we were, what do you think the chances would be of the Obama administration putting an end to it?

[TexasObserver]

13. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?!

[marmar]

14. Who knew "V for Vendetta" was a documentary?

:scared:

[Stevenmarc]

15. Cameras in the homes of 20,000 antisocial families = The best new season of Big Brother, ever

[DavidDvorkin]

16. Before we get outraged

Let's be sure it's true.

[Lance_Boyle]

18. Seriously

Should be simple to dig up information on "childrens' secretary Ed Balls" - right? ;-)

[Joanne98]

19. This is ridiculous!

[LeftishBrit]

20. Well, I haven't heard anything about this, and I'm British

What I think it may be based on is 'Family Intervention Projects': an intensive programme to 'turn around' families that have been evicted or had trouble with the police for antisocial behaviour, as an alternative to punishing the adults by law, or taking the children into care.

The parents and children will get various forms of training; have to sign a contract; and will have visits, in some cases daily, from a social worker. I have not heard anyone propose the use of cameras, however. I have come across reports in 'wired.com' before and they generally tend to be super-exaggerated.

I'm pretty sceptical about such programmes; the people who are most likely to becomes subject to them are also the most likely to tell social workers to 'bugger off and mind their own fucking business'. (They would also undoubtedly smash any cameras that did get put in their homes!) Thes programmes and proposals are all part of the Culture of Management these days - i.e. signing a contract is the answer to everything! Both intrusive and ineffective.

I could say '1984' even in 1984, with the Iron Lady and the 'sus laws'.. But I can also say 'exaggerated conspiracy theory' and I strongly suspect that this is one!