Foreign media concern China's large-scale installation of cameras

Perhaps many people have not noticed that China's surveillance cameras are increasing at an alarming rate year by year. In the supermarkets, schools and other places, the people shot one by one, and they were taken by the camera silently. Although cameras can capture crimes and protect people's safety, these "eyes" are controversial on a global scale.

The number of cameras in China is growing alarmingly. The British “Guardian” report noted that China’s efforts in safety monitoring are gradually increasing. Beijing police require supermarkets and shopping malls to install high-definition security surveillance cameras. Over the past five years, China has added millions of security surveillance cameras, which account for a portion of domestic security spending.

In May of this year, the Shanghai police revealed that Shanghai implemented a 24-hour video surveillance patrol mode. The civilian police officers led the auxiliary staff to take turns in duty. A total of more than 4,000 full-time personnel participated in the video surveillance. It is reported that the monitoring and value-keeping personnel carry out “hierarchical management” of the image monitoring probes and focus on the key areas on the street. Once suspicious conditions are found, the image monitoring and control staff will command and dispatch the police on the streets and other police forces to conduct round-up crimes. Molecules, handling sudden incidents, etc.

Chongqing, a municipality in southwestern China, plans to add 200,000 surveillance cameras by 2014, because the existing 310,000 cameras are "obviously inadequate." In Furong District, Changsha, there are 40,000 cameras, with 10 people per capita.

In some areas, cameras are installed in streets, shops, and college classrooms. In March of this year, Beijing’s camera tentacles also reached cultural life. The city government plans to spend more than RMB 5 million to place cameras in theaters, movie theaters and other places.

Personal Privacy vs. Public Safety China's attitude towards the camera has its own uniqueness. Britain once was controversial because of the photography problem, but China looks like it has a passion for the camera.

Surveying company IMS, which focuses on electronic product surveys, estimates that from 2010 to 2014, the number of cameras in China will increase at a rate of 20% per year, while in other countries it will not exceed 10%. Zhang Bo, a senior analyst at IMS, believes that in 2010, China had added more than 10 million cameras, covering both private and public places. The national "safe city" program aims to establish a large network covering the urban areas of the country.

Some people believe that there is no harm in setting up surveillance cameras. The Shanghai police said that surveillance cameras helped them arrest 6,000 suspects last year. When it was reported that Changsha added 26,000 cameras, Changsha police said that since the cameras were installed four years ago, the camera has helped police detect more than 1,200 cases.

Ting Fei, a 24-year-old who works at an educational institution, said that the higher the camera's clarity, the safer the shopping environment in the store. She said: "Since the camera is mainly targeted at criminals, the people have not been affected much. Why do we not support this measure?"

However, there are also people who say that installing cameras in public places such as shopping malls is disturbing and has the feeling of being pryed into privacy. In particular, cameras should not appear in places such as baby rooms and dormitories, as this will infringe on the privacy of the people.

Fu Dingsheng, a professor at East China University of Political Science and Law, said: "The purpose of surveillance cameras is to protect the public. Personal privacy should give way to public safety." However, he added that in order to ensure that the surveillance system is not abused, more protection is needed. Measures.

Nicholas Berklin, an Asia human rights observations researcher, said: “Even in a democratic country, surveillance cameras are a controversial topic, and they need important balancing powers, such as independent courts, privacy regulations, and monitoring data. Preservation deadlines, legal procedures for monitoring data, and non-governmental organizations that monitor data."