Digital Surveillance

The word surveillance has been derived from the French word which literally means “watching over.” So surveillance refers to the art of watching over people or things or objects. But nowadays the word has come up its meaning. Now the word is not confined to visual surveillance. Watching over people or things with the help of closed circuit cameras, transmitters electronic trail etc.

With the advent of different types of digital instruments surveillance has come up a long way. It has made it easier to keep an eye over enemies in case of a war, visitors in a museum or at traffic intersections.  The use of digital instruments such as close circuit cameras helps in keeping an eye over the smallest of movements of the people. The transmitters along with the GPS (Global Positioning System) can track the movement of a person across the globe. Similarly the telephonic conversation of an employee can also be recorded and kept for reference later on.

Although digital surveillance has great benefits but it has its criticisms as well. Digital surveillance instruments have been labeled as privacy invaders. Covert surveillance i.e. surveillance without the knowledge of the person being watched over results in invasion of his privacy. Nowadays close circuit cameras are put up not only at public spots but also at private places such as hotel rooms to curb any illegal activity taking place behind the closed doors. But this also kills the privacy of the person being watched over.

Today the use of digital surveillance articles is indispensable. Many crimes have been stopped and many criminals have been traced and put behind the bars. These digital instruments have been deployed at such variety of areas ranging from any grocery store to the prime minister’s office  that inspite of being labeled as a privacy invader it is as useful “as useful as a cow.”