Comments on: The emerging surveillance society in Japan

By: Darien Shields

Darien Shields — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:21:19 +0000

There’s a vast difference between being in public and being filmed. Consider you’re walking down the street having a conversation with a friend. There are people on the other side of the street that can see you, but you can tell they aren’t looking right at you- they *can*, but they *aren’t* and you know that. Furthremore, you know they aren’t listening to your conversation.

But say there’s a camera with high tech recording equipment. It could be recording everything you do, and for all you know fifty people could later watch and listen to your entire conversation. You could be talking about anything, from sports to embarrassing medical problems, and it might wind up getting played over and over again.

Of course, a very important aspect of widespread security cameras like this is making sure only the right people have access. But the chance of security leaks with cameras all over a city is incredibly high- in London for instance there must be hundreds if not thousands of people with access to camera footage. And heck, what if someone illegally tapped into the camera feeds? Think of all the mischief they could get up to. By following someone on a camera you can learn their routine, where they go, when. It could be used for stalking, planning crimes when no-one is around, if we took it to extremes this technology could even be used to plan the perfect murder!

There are certainly advantages, but there are great risks too.

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By: Cutting Japanese crime — Tokyo Times

Cutting Japanese crime — Tokyo Times — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:47:28 +0000

[...] situation that the cops and, erm, Coca Cola have quickly tried to correct with this fairly recently introduced camera and phone equipped contraption; providing those in danger with both a drink and a direct [...]

By: Japan Goes Big Brother with Vending Machines with CCTV Cameras | Gadgetorium!

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:17:17 +0000

[...] Will these machines catch on, slowly replacing the thousands of vending machine already spread across Japan, or will the people there stand up against becoming another country where privacy takes a backseat to security? Time will tell. [JapanProbe] [...]

By: DARPA Contract Description Hints at Advanced Video Spying | T.G.O.H

DARPA Contract Description Hints at Advanced Video Spying | T.G.O.H — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:34:39 +0000

[...] The emerging surveillance society in Japan [...]

By: The emerging surveillance society in Japan « Aftermath News

The emerging surveillance society in Japan « Aftermath News — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 06:42:58 +0000

[...] October 20, 2008 · No Comments Japan Probe | Oct 13, 2008 [...]

By: mkill

mkill — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:22:56 +0000

It’s only a matter of time until they have cameras in those used panty vending machines. It’s all for the common good.

On a more serious note, if the camera obviously couldn’t protect itself, how is it going to protect me?

By: whatthe

whatthe — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:09:09 +0000

I don’t remember my stay in Lisbon that bad.

By: leitmotiv

leitmotiv — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:58:35 +0000

LOL…..good question!

By: IlluminatiGrandPoobah

IlluminatiGrandPoobah — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:56:38 +0000

“The reason why Britain has a lot of cameras is that it is the cradle of Freemasonry, all members of the royal family are masons.”

Do not speak of this any further. We are watching. You have been warned.

By: BottomFiddler

BottomFiddler — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:56:33 +0000

LOL at that mock mugging. “Oh yikes, I’ve just been done over. Ah, hang on, there happens to be a vending machine which is going to deafen me and cause me future back problems, also cleverly diverting attention away from the robber! Ya-taaa!”

About as useful as my old man would say, as a chocolate f’ing hammer.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:38:51 +0000

Cameras don’t prevent crimes. If you were murdered in the middle of the street, maybe the perpetrator is on camera, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re dead. People commit crimes in stores with cameras all the time, so it’s already proven that cameras are pretty much useless.

By: Charles Nguyen

Charles Nguyen — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:31:08 +0000

lol Nicely said.

By: tobone

tobone — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:14:42 +0000

Sooo why didn’t the vandal get caught on camera?

By: weirdo

weirdo — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:14:39 +0000

“his privacy concern is laughed off as if it was some sort of joke. ”

As much as I dislike invasion of privacy, I don’t think one corner of a public building is any more private than the other…

By: StoneJack

StoneJack — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:07:14 +0000

I agree too, can someone explain to me why a camera on a public space is considered invasion of privacy? Privacy on a public space is kind of a dream concept, it does not exist in real life, and if more cameras will help fight crime, than the people complaining should stop seen japan with western eyes.
I live in Brazil, and the amount of crime here is borderline ridiculous. If we had this many cameras in the more violent areas of cities like Rio de Janeiro, man, I’d be one happy guy.
No it wouldn’t stop me from getting shot at or whatever, but it would help putting the criminals in jail I think.

Then again this is in Japan, where crime is already low, so it may not be necessary, but then again, it is easy to complain about a camera when the chances of it been useful are like 0.5%, if only crime in Japan wasn’t so low…

By: Random

Random — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:59:26 +0000

The person who did it is awesome.

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:47:45 +0000

Yes, that comment is directly related to why the UK has so many cameras – paranoia.

By: Jack Elliot

Jack Elliot — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:36:30 +0000

Don’t worry. This kind of security makes the Japanese even weaker. Ain’t NO Japanese gonna risk the embarrassment of a screeching vending machine.

By: vincent

vincent — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:32:34 +0000

I’m afraid this battle is already lost – there are so many cameras that we don’t even see in the streets that I don’t think an extra one on the vending machine will hurt someone. Vandalize one, write a comment on japanprobe- you won’t achieve anything. This matter should be taken to the highest authority and we all have to do something about it. The last global economic depression led many countries to fascism, we musn’t allow that to happen again.

By: nescire

nescire — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:31:15 +0000

How is a camera going to protect you against anything? The beneficial uses of this are so tangential as to be useless.

It’s amazing how some people’s brain will shut down when you purpose to do something they consider good.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:52:02 +0000

Oniisan is watching you.

By: Level3

Level3 — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:16:22 +0000

Yup, so invest in private security companies. And if you bust a camera, you actually increae your stock dividends! Fight the power AND cash in at the same time! Sweet!

By: RMilner

RMilner — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:46:49 +0000

The main purpose of surveillance camera systems is to divert public tax money to private security companies.

By: Jeshii

Jeshii — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:44:17 +0000

I really despise people like that one lady who says, “I hate that his happened, since their goal seems to be to remove safety.”

Seriously woman, wake up before they have a camera in your house.

By: zs

zs — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:44:29 +0000

監視社会
My name is George Orwell and I approve this message

By: Pedro Santos

Pedro Santos — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:30:33 +0000

Every coin has two sides. People are right to complain about there invasion of privacy. But in the streets, on public transports, in public places, there are already other people around us so there’s no privacy to be invaded. If filming me walking down the street or sitting on a bus prevents me from getting robbed or murdered then please film me.
Now if people are doing something they shouldn’t… But that’s why the cameras are there in the first place. Stop doing stuff you shouldn’t be doing and you’ve got nothing to be worried about.
Try living in Lisbon, go out for a walk in the middle of the day to get mugged, beaten (and possibly raped), in the middle of the street without any witnesses, cameras, cops, or help of any kind. You’ll be crying for a camera in no time…

By: revil

revil — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:40:18 +0000

I think the camera would be fine if it was only activated once the emergency phone door is activated.

Aside for that, I think it is kinda creepy.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:06:59 +0000

Yeah the average briton is caught on camera 300 times a day: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/how-average-briton-is-caught-on-camera-300-times-a-day-572781.html

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:00:07 +0000

Yeah I live in London, camera’s everywhere. England has the most CCTV camera’s per head in the world I think, and they use the excuse if you’ve got nothing to hide then you’ve got nothing to fear :\. I don’t like it.

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:51:32 +0000

I’ve just come back from a week in London. Talk about your 監視社会…. At least five cameras just on buses. There is probably a video record (assuming these are saved) of pretty much everything I did there.