K
Keiji Maeda
Guest
'Spy-On-Thieves' Website Spurs Privacy Row
11:37am Saturday October 09, 2010
Amy Lewis
A website that allows people to report shoplifters has reignited the row over whether it is more important to protect the public or defend civil liberties.
Internet Eyes 'streams' shop CCTV footage to subscribers who can report criminals. Those who spot the most crimes are given a cash reward. But campaigners say the idea is encouraging citizens to spy on each other. James Welch, legal director at the civil rights group Liberty said: "What we don't want is vigilante bounty hunters.
All we're doing is trying to reduce shoplifting. There are no voyeuristic opportunities to be had.
<cite> Internet Eyes' boss Tony Morgan
</cite>"We're all responsible citizens - if we see a crime we should report it to the police. "We shouldn't be paying people to watch out for crimes. It should be done by proper professionals." Shoplifting costs UK businesses more than £1bn every year. It is hoped the website will not just help detect crimes, but also act as deterrent. The UK is the world's most spied upon nation, due to an abundance of surveillance cameras, but often no-one is watching the footage.
CCTV footage on the website
Internet Eyes' boss Tony Morgan said: "All we're doing is trying to reduce shoplifting. There are no voyeuristic opportunities to be had." A number of safeguards have been put in place for the scheme. No one will be able to watch people in their own area, only over 18s in Europe can subscribe and only shop CCTV footage will be broadcast.
