Hi-tech CCTV can recognise faces from half a mile away.

Run_to_da_hills

Interesting article and nothing that some of us already know about.

"High–definition CCTV cameras that can identify and track faces from half–a–mile away could turn Britain into a Big Brother society if left unregulated, the first surveillance commissioner has warned.

Andrew Rennison said new technology was being rolled out without public consultation.

It is so intrusive that Britain may be in breach of human rights laws, he warned, and most people are ignorant of how sophisticated technology has become.

"The technology has overtaken our ability to regulate it," Mr Rennison said. ""I'm convinced that if we don't regulate it properly - ie the technological ability to use millions of images we capture - there will be a huge public backlash. It is the Big Brother scenario playing out large. It's the ability to pick out your face in a crowd from a camera which is probably half a mile away."

The former police officer said he was concerned about high-definition cameras "popping up all over the place". He said the Home Office research into facial recognition had reached a 90 per cent success rate and it is improving by the day".

The actual clip art CCTV cam in the article is incorrectly illustrated and misleading, it is the old fashioned conventional type that are becoming almost obsolete.

These are the ones to be concerned about. . They are now appeared perched stands alone on poles at nearly every major intersection in Dublin and other cities and towns.

These cameras can fully pan, tilt and zoom 360°, can be fully upgradable to distant facial recognition and ANPR. (Automatic number plate recognition) They are the exact same type of cameras that are used on police surveylance vehicles at demonstrations.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/9583251/Hi-tech-CCTV-can-recognise-faces-from-half-a-mile-away.html

srsly78

Tin foil balaclava - sorted.

Youssef Chippo

But this is Ireland not Britain so therefore I don't give a fiddlers

Praetorian Saighdiuir

I have a pair of binos that can do that.

Ellis Dee

Since you're almost always on camera, you'd better keep smiling!:):):):)

Nodin

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Interesting article and nothing that some of us already know about.

"High–definition CCTV cameras that can identify and track faces from half–a–mile away .......................

...they'll easily see you waving your lad at them then so.

Biggins

Youssef Chippo wrote: »

But this is Ireland not Britain so therefore I don't give a fiddlers

I've been in a Louth Garda station CCTV room and I can say that similar cameras can possess same high quality resolution/clarity.

Hande hoche!

The idea of police drones creeps me out more.

gctest50

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

These cameras can fully pan, tilt and zoom 360°, can be fully upgradable to distant facial recognition ......

All you'd have to do then is mate that yoke with a facebook interface and it could go something like this:

"Wanted person" spotted by shiny new camera

Cam gear dig through facebook and keeps an eye out for his facebook friends in area.

While its bored it can be poking at cellphone calls/txt messages of them.

Or to take a bit of load off the poor thing you could turn that on its head :

Use the cellphone location tricks to "alert" the camera in the area which wanted people it is most likely to see today.

Youssef Chippo

Biggins wrote: »

I've been in a Louth Garda station CCTV room and I can say that similar cameras can possess same high quality resolution/clarity.

I wouldn't be caught dead in Louth never mind alive.:pac:

Run_to_da_hills

Hande hoche! wrote: »

The idea of police drones creeps me out more.

Police Drones is just an extension of the fixed CCTV system, it won't be too long before they will be patrolling our back yards and bogs.

partyatmygaff

If the police/government/"NWO" or whatever other evil organisation is the flavour of the month these days in the CT world wants to track you and follow your movements, they will and they don't need CCTV cameras to do it either.

Nodin

Hande hoche! wrote: »

The idea of police drones creeps me out more.

'where-are-you-going-with-no-lights-on-your-bicycle' in a Robotron voice would be a bit different.

N64

How come you always post the same sort of scaremongering ****e ?

PCPhoto

so the cops knew internal affairs were after them !!!

meh ! ... police/gardai need your face on file before it can be tracked by the CCTV .... so mainly crims who need to be worried ....I see no problem as long as databases from the passport office/driving licence peoples etc are not shared.

dont really see much of an issue with it - facial recognition cameras will make it easier to identify crims in the event of a theft/robbery/assault, they will also assist in tracking the movements of known crims and suspects - makes life easier for the gardai/police.

What are the chances they dont have a database to store the feed and its live only !!

Where To

And this is a bad thing because. . . . . . . . ?

eth0

Where To wrote: »

And this is a bad thing because. . . . . . . . ?

Ould government sh1tbags invading our privacy again.

Hande hoche!

Nodin wrote: »

'where-are-you-going-with-no-lights-on-your-bicycle' in a Robotron voice would be a bit different.

Will probably end up with an ED 209.

partyatmygaff

eth0 wrote: »

Ould government sh1tbags invading our privacy again.

Would a guard standing on a street corner watching a crowd of people be invading people's privacy?

If not, why would someone sitting in a remote room doing that very same thing be any different? Unless they've got a very good reason, no one is going to care enough to even notice you out of the many other thousands of people that will pass in front of the lens.

Pottler

Meh, that's nothing. I can spot a good looking bird at 600m in light drizzle. Beat that robocam.

ScumLord

Camera version of this.

kincsem

Thanks for the tip. I'm selling my shares in the binocular company.

kincsem

And buying shares in the false beard company.

minidazzler

"Could" turn Britain into a Big Brother society? But they already are!

bobmac27

It is funny how Orwell 's book was set in 1984 and London. This is how it is playing out. Not sure if you guys have heard, UK police is also testing mini-drones for surveillance

Guy:Incognito

But RTDH have you not been telling us Britain has been a big brother society for years? But now its back to being in danger of becoming one again? Is it cos C4 ditched the show?

Maybe you need a conspiracy leader to vet all the stories and weed out any crossover?

eth0 wrote: »

Ould government sh1tbags invading our privacy again.

Privacy on a public street?

humbert

I really don't see the problem here. It's not an invasion of privacy as the cameras are all in public places. It's just a natural extension of their original purpose.

eth0

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Would a guard standing on a street corner watching a crowd of people be invading people's privacy?

If not, why would someone sitting in a remote room doing that very same thing be any different? Unless they've got a very good reason, no one is going to care enough to even notice you out of the many other thousands of people that will pass in front of the lens.

The guard might not give a damn but this thing will most likely create a record of where you've been spotted. Which would be fierce handy for anyone trying to "build a case" against you for whatever reason.

ejmaztec

Hande hoche! wrote: »

Will probably end up with an ED 209.

More chance of a WD40.

Tefral

If your doing nothing wrong whats the harm? CCTV caught the guy who killed Jill in Melbourne for example.

Mr. CooL ICE

RTDH, please come to the AH beers

eth0

cronin_j wrote: »

If your doing nothing wrong whats the harm? CCTV caught the guy who killed Jill in Melbourne for example.

Everyone does something wrong, also the definition of 'wrong' changes according to politician's whims.

Duggy747

CCTV was quite handy in apprehending the scum during the London riots last year.

partyatmygaff

eth0 wrote: »

The guard might not give a damn but this thing will most likely create a record of where you've been spotted. Which would be fierce handy for anyone trying to "build a case" against you for whatever reason.

That sounds completely ridiculous.

If somebody wanted to "build a case against you for whatever reason" they'd send someone out to film you rather than rely on CCTV. Not only that but being spotted in one of the many public locations that a CCTV camera points at isn't enough to make a case against anyone of doing anything.

eth0

partyatmygaff wrote: »

That sounds completely ridiculous.

If somebody wanted to "build a case against you for whatever reason" they'd send someone out to film you rather than rely on CCTV. Not only that but being spotted in one of the many public locations that a CCTV camera points at isn't enough to make a case against anyone of doing anything.

If they have enough cameras as they do in England then that saves them a whole lot of bother, and means they can afford to build a whole lot more cases against people

Wee Willy Harris

And that, is why I keep my head down and just ignore em.

Cos they can speak too you know... or whatever sad bastard; it is watching every step of my 5 mile route in case I stop for breath aka 'loiter'. That's what it's coming to, fitted with speakers and mics

woodoo

I would be happy to see those cameras on every street corner. It would keep a good eye on the riff raff.

Capt'n Midnight

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

"High–definition CCTV cameras that can identify and track faces from half–a–mile away could turn Britain into a Big Brother society if left unregulated, the first surveillance commissioner has warned.

Biggins wrote: »

I've been in a Louth Garda station CCTV room and I can say that similar cameras can possess same high quality resolution/clarity.

Well back in the 80's it was accepted that the British Army Cameras could read car reg plates in Dundalk.

Also software can ID people from body language so they don't even need to see your face. And besides almost all of us carry personal tracking devices.

GalwayGuy2

If they have enough cameras as they do in England then that saves them a whole lot of bother, and means they can afford to build a whole lot more cases against people

And open themselves up to a crazy amount of crap, privacy, freedom, etc.

or whatever sad bastard; it is watching every step of my 5 mile route in case I stop for breath aka 'loiter'. That's what it's coming to, fitted with speakers and mics

an angry east-London accent would get anybody moving:P

Wee Willy Harris

It's fantastic tech; no doubt but when used for impervious means to the point of voyeurism it just makes willy wilt

partyatmygaff

eth0 wrote: »

If they have enough cameras as they do in England then that saves them a whole lot of bother, and means they can afford to build a whole lot more cases against people

I'm sure the British police are recruiting more officers for their "case-making unit" dedicated to watching the entire country via CCTV cameras for the sole purpose of "building cases" against random people.

On CCTV, a person not breaking any laws is no more than background noise, easily tuned out if you've been watching for a while.

I really don't see the issue or need for concern. They're not installing CCTV cameras in people's homes, they're installing CCTV cameras in the public places they're meant to police.

Rigol

Sure the number plate readers have long been used here anyway by the Garda traffic unit.
I got pulled over by a garda car with one days after I had bought a car, hadn't taxed it yet, so their database is pretty sharp.

eth0

partyatmygaff wrote: »

I'm sure the British police are recruiting more officers for their "case-making unit" dedicated to watching the entire country via CCTV cameras for the sole purpose of "building cases" against random people.

On CCTV, a person not breaking any laws is no more than background noise, easily tuned out if you've been watching for a while.

I really don't see the issue or need for concern. They're not installing CCTV cameras in people's homes, they're installing CCTV cameras in the public places they're meant to police.

Wouldn't put it past them, they were on about putting cameras in the homes of parents with 'troublesome' children a while back when Labour was still in power. They are also known to hassle people who attend protests and what have you

Capt'n Midnight

partyatmygaff wrote: »

On CCTV, a person not breaking any laws is no more than background noise, easily tuned out if you've been watching for a while.

Every one breaks laws. Egro someone who doesn't break any laws is suspect.

Capt'n Midnight

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-16358851

US Army unveils 1.8 gigapixel camera helicopter drone
...
The army said that was enough to track people and vehicles from altitudes above 20,000 feet (6.1km) across almost 65 square miles (168 sq km).

In addition, operators on the ground can select up to 65 steerable "windows" following separate targets to be "stared at". Vehicles, people and other objects can be tracked even if they move in different directions.

Sindri

bobmac27 wrote: »

It is funny how Orwell 's book was set in 1984 and London. This is how it is playing out.

I lol'd. The "playing out bit" coupled with the "1984" bit was funji. The "and London" bit makes the sentence all the more significant and accurate in such a way that it could not possibly be conceived as in any way nonfactual.

FanadMan

.........Holds up sign saying "Hi Mum"

Davidth88

I bet if your car/bike or whatever is stolen , the camera will still be ' pointing the wrong way ' , or ' sorry we didn't pick that up '


CCTV ......waste of time if you are mugged etc , somehow it never works.

On a separate note, I once did a project working with the guys who developed the facial recognition stuff developed for the British Gvmt ... it was pretty amazing stuff . We used it in set top boxes so if you were watching a film and you couldn't remember a actors' name you could use it to search the net for other films etc with the same person in it.

It worked amazingly well.

wendell borton

Wee Willy Harris wrote: »

And that, is why I keep my head down and just ignore em.

Cos they can speak too you know... or whatever sad bastard; it is watching every step of my 5 mile route in case I stop for breath aka 'loiter'. That's what it's coming to, fitted with speakers and mics

:eek:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al8rm3nX_80&t=1m51s

Run_to_da_hills

Davidth88 wrote: »

I bet if your car/bike or whatever is stolen , the camera will still be ' pointing the wrong way ' , or ' sorry we didn't pick that up '


CCTV ......waste of time if you are mugged etc , somehow it never works.

On a separate note, I once did a project working with the guys who developed the facial recognition stuff developed for the British Gvmt ... it was pretty amazing stuff . We used it in set top boxes so if you were watching a film and you couldn't remember a actors' name you could use it to search the net for other films etc with the same person in it.

It worked amazingly well.

Facial Recognition System Checks 50% Of World's Population In 90 Seconds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiFx39WHYlI