[blibble]

the metrics that include the privately owned CCTV cameras used by shopkeepers in the same category as those operated by governments?

the UK has issues with creeping authoritarianism in an number of areas, but millions of shops having crappy 2FPS black and white CCTV isn't a particular concern of mine

[blub]

The whole argument that they're private cameras is rather pedantic and ultimately pointless.

It doesn't matter who owns what as long as the government can request access to the data.

[blibble]

the concern amongst non-hysterical people is mass surveillance by government, not ad-hoc requests by the police for VHS tapes of people stealing packets of bacon

in this situation: the fact they're not controlled by, or accessible to the state without effort is neither pedantic or irrelevant, sorry.

[blub]

After the amount of leaks and revelations in the last decade you're only embarrassing yourself if you claim that any people concerned about privacy are hysterical. Whoever is not worried is simply clueless about the power of data.

The fact that there is some extra effort required to get to the tapes does make it a bit inconvenient, but that won't do you any good if you're caught by those surveillance cameras in the wrong place at the wrong time. The investigators will almost always make that effort, since it's part of the job.

[ixtli]

I get what you’re saying but it’s not just the fact that the whole country is covered in CCTV (private or otherwise, and btw I find private cameras to be more dystopian frankly because you can’t audit them.) There has always been a sentiment in UK government similar to America that justifies an all-seeing entity (GCHQ) who’s motives are implicitly good and thus they are beyond having to answer to the public. The secrets act itself is something that makes the UK even worse than America in this way.