| WHEN Elizabeth arrives at work each day, a camera | | | | Law enforcement agencies also rely on modern |
| tracks her movements. As she enters the building, | | | | surveillance techniques. In the United States, the |
| one camera zooms in on her face. During the day | | | | magazine BusinessWeek reports that the FBI has a |
| numerous other cameras keep her under constant | | | | technology known as Carnivore and uses it "to |
| surveillance. This level of scrutiny is understandable | | | | monitor e-mails, instant messages, and digital phone |
| because she works for a company that handles | | | | calls." Meanwhile, in Britain new legislation will allow |
| millions of dollars in cash each day. | | | | law-enforcement agencies secretly to "watch |
| Elizabeth knows she will be closely watched at work; | | | | thousands of people using phones, fax machines and |
| it was clearly explained to her when she took the | | | | the net," reports the BBC News. |
| job. For millions of other people, however, the | | | | Candid Cameras and Detailed Data Bases |
| amount of surveillance they are subjected to each | | | | Even when a person is not communicating by phone, |
| day may not be as clearly defined. | | | | fax, or E-mail, he may still be under surveillance. In |
| Living in a Surveillance Society | | | | the Australian state of New South Wales, people |
| Are you under surveillance while at work? Worldwide, | | | | using the train system are monitored by over 5,500 |
| millions of employees have their Internet and E-mail | | | | cameras. In the same state, some 1,900 |
| use constantly monitored while working. The annual | | | | government-owned buses are also outfitted with |
| American Management Association Survey for 2001 | | | | surveillance cameras. |
| found that "nearly three-quarters (73.5%) of major | | | | Britain reportedly has the most surveillance cameras |
| U.S. firms . . . record and review their employees' | | | | per capita in the world-1 for every 55 people, |
| communications and activities on the job, including | | | | according to one study. In 1996, there were only 74 |
| their phone calls, e-mail, Internet connections and | | | | towns or cities in the United Kingdom with |
| computer files." | | | | surveillance cameras monitoring public places. By 1999, |
| Governments invest millions of dollars in surveillance | | | | 500 towns and cities had installed such equipment. |
| equipment. A report submitted to the European | | | | New computer programs are being linked to |
| Parliament on July 11, 2001, concluded that "a global | | | | surveillance cameras to give the camera the ability to |
| system for intercepting communications exists, | | | | pick out a particular person's face, even if he is in a |
| operating by means of cooperation . . . among the | | | | crowd at an airport or in a public plaza. |
| USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand." | | | | As never before, your private life can be tracked |
| Through a global network of satellite receiver | | | | without your knowledge. Simon Davies, director of |
| stations, a system known as ECHELON, these | | | | the human rights group Privacy International, says: |
| governments are reportedly able to intercept and | | | | "There has probably never been a time in history |
| inspect satellite-relayed telephone, fax, Internet, and | | | | when so much information has been amassed on the |
| E-mail messages. The Australian newspaper claims | | | | population-at-large. Details of the average |
| that when governments use this system, "specific | | | | economically active adult in the developed world are |
| faxes and emails can be singled out, and if the | | | | located in around 400 major data bases-enough |
| system has been trained to recognise a particular | | | | processed data to compile a formidable reference |
| voice, phone calls by those people can also be singled | | | | book for each person." |
| out." | | | | What steps can you take to protect your privacy? |