Video Surveillance

Video surveillance, otherwise known as closed circuit television (CCTV), involves using cameras to record or transmit video signal to a specified destination. CCTV was first implemented in 1942 in order for scientists to view V2 rockets launching in Germany. Video monitoring is relied upon for solving crimes, both commercially and on private property, as surveillance systems are installed within and outside homes and businesses. In London, for every 1000 cameras in the city, one crime is solved. Video cameras are also used in the workplace to ensure that employees are working efficiently. Video surveillance has been widely utilized to improve safety in public places, particularly in large cities. The UK supposedly has one camera for every 11 people. As the popularity of video surveillance has increased and technology has become more advanced, making it easier to covertly record one’s surroundings, privacy concerns have grown more prevalent.

History

Following its initial implementation, by the late 1950s, video surveillance technology was used by several companies in the U.S. for education, medical, and industrial purposes. The ability to record the transmitted signal, eliminating the need for constant monitoring, was not developed until 1951. Public surveillance became more common in the 1960s when Olean, New York became the first city to use video cameras to monitor the streets in 1968, and the first home security surveillance system patented by Marie Van Brittan Brown in 1969 In 1996, the first IP (Internet Protocol) camera enabled video to be sent and received via computer networks.

Technology

IP Cameras

In 1996, Axis Communications released the first surveillance cameras that use computer networks and the Internet to transmit signal. Rather than use voltage to transmit signal as its predecessors did, IP Cameras transmit information via the TCP/IP Protocol, which enables two-way communication, remote control of the surveillance device, encrypted transmission, artificial intelligence functionality within the actual camera, and improved resolution. However, IP Cameras are more expensive than analog CCTV devices and by using the Internet, the video transmission is more easily accessible to hackers. Axis began using Linux to operate their cameras in 1999 and released an API (Application Program Interface) called Vapix, allowing third parties to create recording software. In 2005, Intellio released the first IP Camera that could detect movement and theft.

Wide Area Surveillance

As technology has become more advanced and video cameras are able to record footage in greater detail and with more precision, video cameras mounted on fixed-wing aircraft are becoming more common, otherwise known as Wide Area Surveillance. Retired Air Force Officer McNutt who helped design a system for the skies over a battleground city in Iraq, estimates that his 192-megapixel camera could record 50 crimes throughout the duration of a six-hour flight. In 2007, he founded an Ohio-based company called Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS) to develop aerial surveillance in order to monitor large areas of land at once. PSS utilizes two cameras, the HawkEye II for airborne wide area surveillance and the Vision RL for fixed wide area surveillance. McNutt and PSS are negotiating with regarding the implementation of their Wide Area Surveillance technology.

Personal Webcams as Surveillance Devices

Webcams either built into computers or that connect to computers via USB can be converted into do-it-yourself video surveillance systems. Softwares that allow for surveillance capabilities have been developed, like iSpy Connect and SightHound. Once the software is installed, users are prompted to define a perimeter around an area in which the camera is programmed to detect movement. Depending on the software, users can either set up text-message or email notifications about detected movement.

Video Surveillance and Facial Recognition

Facial recognition technology has been in development since the 1960s, though details about its progress have been kept quiet until recently. Earlier models required human input and were less automated. Biometric facial recognition involves three steps: detecting a face, recording detected faces, and then matching those faces with faces stored in a database. The software uses about 80 facial “landmarks” or “nodal points” to distinguish between faces, like nose width, eye-socket depth, and cheekbone shape. Cameras are now capable of 3D modeling, rather than 2D modeling that was used in the past that required faces to be turned at least 35 degrees toward the camera, enabling recognition of faces from more angles.

These systems have been used for tracking people entering and leaving a location, confirming identity for access control, and locating individuals who may pose a threat to public safety. In 2014, the FBI launched the Next Generation Identification system. Beginning as a pilot program in 2009 designed by defense contractor Lockheed Martin (LMT) and built by MorphoTrust, a company that specializes in biometric scanning. Research indicates that 1 in 2 adult Americans have their picture in a facial recognition database and 16 states allow the FBI to access their DMV photo databases.

Ethical Issues

Monitoring without explicit consent Government monitoring Ypsilanti

Hacking into private cameras to remotely control them Webcams

Google Glass

Implications of Facial Recognition FBI’s NGI System