Thursday, October 23, 1997
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 5
Surveillance polices people's privacy
A view from atop the parking garage behind Allen Field House of the Burge parking lot. Surveillance cameras record many campus lots. Photo by Geoff Kriber/KANSAN
Continued from page 6A
"It's hard to envision a lega
solution to surveillance in a public place," says Kurtenbach. "When people walk into a store, there's an expectation that they're being watched."
But technology may be outgrowing our expectations, Staples said. How many of us expect our picture to pop up on computer screens all across the world when we walk into a local bar? It is possible at The Sandbar. A camera
the size of a tennis ball sends live pictures to the bar's web page.
Peach Madl, The Sandbar owner, said the camera provided a service and a source of amusement for customers.
"They love to see who's there and what's going on, especially when they're stuck at home or thinking of coming down," she said.
On a grander scale, a web site called EarthCam (www.earthcam.com) shows live-action video from around the world. The most fascinating EarthCam sites peer into public and semi-private places at people who may or may not know that they are being watched. Most of these sites are accessible by clicking "Spy" on EarthCam's directory page, but Jennifer Searles, EarthCam production coordinator, said all sites were voluntary.
"We would not favor any sites that spy on individuals without their consent," she said. For Staples, the popularity of
"When people walk into a store, there's an expectation that they're being watched."
Dick Kurtenbach
American Civil Liberties Union president
sites like EarthCam is evidence of our fascination with video surveillance.
It is also about novelty and technolo- logical wonder, Staples said, but the implications can be scary.
"It's s. power thing," he said. "It lets you watch people who can't see you and that gives you a power over them."
"A picture contains information about people," he said. "It's being instantly distributed to millions of other people, and it can't be retrieved. Do we realize we're opening ourselves up to that kind of visibility?"
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