Video Surveillance in Today\'s Highly

Video Surveillance

In today's highly technical post 9/11 society, a new industry is developing, particularly in more developed nations such as the United States, China, Japan, and across Europe. This industry, commonly known as the video surveillance industry, has developed dramatically over the course of the last ten years, and with this development has come many obstacles, including technological, governmental, and legal ramifications. However, these obstacles, while numerous, have advanced the technologies available, providing the industry with new trends and opportunities for growth.

This paper will analyze the video and audio surveillance industry in terms of security and business applications, using a company called "Spying Eye Surveillance" as a continued example. This analysis will include an overview of the industry in general, trends for the particular types of surveillance utilized by "Spying Eye Surveillance," projections for the growth of these types of companies, and the strengths and weaknesses of the industry. Additionally, this paper will outline some of the potential ramifications experienced by this industry, including governmental restrictions and legal ramifications for abuse of technology.

Spying Eye Surveillance" is an independently owned company that specializes in video and audio surveillance products for businesses and security personnel. Like many in this industry, their products range from 24-hour video surveillance equipment, including time lapse DVR's (digital video recorders), VCR's, cameras, monitors, lenses, to a range of accompanying audio equipment. The DVR's are often attached to CD-R's (compact disk recorders) to enable security personnel easier copying ability for local law enforcement. The cameras range from highly visible determent units to small, hidden, day/night cameras designed for the highest level of security (Spying Eye Surveillance, 2005).

These types of surveillance techniques are far from new concepts. Literature throughout the 20th century has focused on both negative and positive aspects of surveillance, both within the context of business protection as well as governmental control over populations. Thanks to novels such as Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World, both written well before the true age of video surveillance, the concept of such intrusions has been constantly revisited by mass consciousness, often in a negative light (Marx, 1995). However, more recent pop culture references such as the increased broadcast of detective television shows, which utilize video surveillance for crime solving, and the use of closed circuit television for airplane passenger safety following the 9/11 tragedy, have added a layer of positive light to the idea of surveillance (Norris, 1999).

Today's video surveillance industry is generally different from that imagined by authors such as Orwell in the mid-twentieth century. Primarily, CCTV (closed circuit television), also known as surveillance cameras, are the primary defense of businesses and security personnel, both in terms of protection from criminal activity of the public, as well as from criminal activity from within their own workforce. In terms of overall use of surveillance technology, the United Kingdom spends far more than any other country: nearly 300 million pounds per year on an estimated 1.5 million cameras. This country, as well as many others, is using the latest technologies for surveillance, including fully linked systems with zoom and night vision capabilities, infrared and full pan and tilt options, as well as some with full audio capabilities. Cameras across the world are used for traffic enforcement, anti-terrorism, crime prevention, theft protection, general surveillance, protection against abuse, workplace observation, and many other functions (Privacy International, 2003).

Current trends in the video surveillance industry further the use of the applications for which this technology can be used. One such trend is the switch from analog to digital surveillance (Technical Insights, 2004). With analog technology, options for storage and monitoring were limited to basic viewing strategies. With digital technology, however, monitoring can occur across the Internet, can use wireless networks to assist in concealment of cameras, and can use smart sensors, or sensors designed to turn on a camera only when activity occurs. Still further, digital imaging enhances storage capability by switching the recording media from tape to disk (Technical Insights, 2004). The recordings on disk can be easily copied to law enforcement, stored on hard drives, and compressed for even further storage capability.

In addition to the switch to digital surveillance, another trend is the switch to real time surveillance technologies (Technical Insights, 2004). Previously, due to data storage and analog limitations, data was collected only during office hours for businesses, and only viewed later, usually if an incident occurred which needed to be investigated. This type of technique, while certainly useful, meant hours of video watching to find the frames of importance. With current real time video monitoring, often from remote locations, security personnel are able to watch video as it occurs, often stopping actions before the suspect can disappear. Also, by combining real time video with digital media, security forces are able to immediately pull up sections of the disk that are needed, without hours of unnecessary viewing.

Still another trend in video surveillance is that of computerization, and computer technology interfaces. By incorporating thermal sensors, motion detection, frame-by-frame analysis, spectral analysis, behavioral interpretation, and facial recognition with digital media, the surveillance camera today is a breed of "smart" camera (Technical Insights, 2004). By implementing such technologies, businesses and security personnel are able to rely on the camera for far more than simple intruder or theft detection in daylight. Now, using these new technologies, sensors can turn on the cameras, hide snow and other weather phenomenon, recognize particular facial features, analyze the behavior, and digitally analyze the output to produce photo-like replications of suspects of interest (Technical Insights, 2004).

As these types of trends continue, the growth for companies like "Spying Eye Surveillance" is immense. As technology has increased, video surveillance has grown into a massive industry. According to some estimates, growth in this market could be as high as fifteen to twenty percent annually in most industrialized nations (Davies, 1996). Some research firms, such as J.P. Freeman and Company, estimate that by 2007, the video surveillance market will grow to approximately $3 billion dollars (Shandle, 2005).

While the growth of this industry is definite, it should be noted that there are both strengths and weaknesses of this emerging technology. Video surveillance, in almost any form, can certainly benefit companies, security personnel, and citizens in general. Used correctly, they can catch criminals during the commission of a crime, making punishment of the individual much simpler and more cost effective then lengthy investigations. Video surveillance can also be used to protect citizens, such as when used to monitor apartment complex entryways, or monitor homes for protection against burglary. Further, companies can use video surveillance of employees to ensure proper work ethics and improve overall productivity in a cost effective way (Dougherty, 1997).

Still further, video surveillance can be used for determent purposes (Dougherty, 1997). Criminals are far less likely to attack a business when notices are posted about video surveillance being in use. Drivers knowledgeable about cameras positioned along major roadways are far less likely to speed. Students knowledgeable about cameras in use in the school system are less likely to deal or use drugs, at least while in the school. In these ways, video surveillance works well as a deterrent to negative behaviors.

Advances in video surveillance also have strengths. Behavioral recognition software can identify suspicious behaviors, and proceed to track those individuals to ensure that any criminal or negative activity is observed, from a variety of angles. Once the software is programmed to record specific "unusual" activity, such as programming a specific length of time before a parked car is monitored, the software will then act on its own. Facial recognition software used can "watch" for specific facial constructions, and use this information to alert security when unwanted persons appear. Infrared cameras can see heat forms in even complete darkness, and satellite video surveillance can detect from orbit even the smallest items on a student's desk, providing for global ability. Wireless networks provide strength by allowing remote surveillance, even furthering the already useful implementations available.

However, there are also a slew of weaknesses in the use of video technology. Video surveillance, when used improperly, can lead to severe breaches in personal privacy. For example, a camera placed in the entryway of an apartment complex is considered a safety measure, but the same camera placed in the bathroom of an apartment would be a severe violation of privacy. Since the use of this technology is difficult to monitor and even more difficult to detect, such improper uses are a problem (Siegel, 2005).

Further, the use of video surveillance to ensure workplace policies can also create problems. Feelings of intrusion and mistrust can decimate the morale of a workforce, causing a loss of productivity. Firing an employee for improper activities can lead to costly lawsuits over privacy issues. Additionally, without careful consideration of placement, cameras in the workplace can also be used improperly, creating true invasions of privacy (Siegel, 2005).

Still another weakness involves those same developing technologies often listed as strengths within the industry. Facial recognition software, while useful in certain cases, is not completely reliable. Studies done by the United States Defense Department have discovered the technology to be correct only fifty-four percent of the time. Furthermore, the study found that the systems could easily be compromised by alterations in weight, hair color, sunglasses, and even weather and lighting alterations (McCullagh & Zarate, 2002). Additionally, behavioral recognition software can often incorrectly identify movements, such as tree branches, and follow those objects instead of actual suspicious movement occurring at the same time (Surveillance-Source, 2005).

Even in spite of these weaknesses, there are numerous opportunities for growth in this particular industry. As companies such as "Spying Eye Surveillance" has noted, the highest area of growth is that of digital video surveillance. According to estimates, this particular area of the industry is set to grow at a 55% compound annual growth rate between 2003 and 2007. In terms on monetary growth opportunity, this field is estimated to grow to over 7.4 billion dollars, globally, due to heightened awareness in security, the overall return on investment in digital surveillance, and new IP solutions. In particular, this niche dominates in North and South America, where digital surveillance software and technology makes up almost 55% of the market share (DataMonitor, 2004).

Within this digital niche, perhaps the area with the most opportunity for growth is the retail industry, simply because of the sheer number of retail outlets in need of surveillance (DataMonitor, 2004). "Spying Eye Surveillance" alone notes over 1000 installed and operating surveillance systems they are responsible for in southern California. Considering this company is a very individualized service, with careful consideration of the intent of management and specialized setups, this speaks volumes for the need in this field. While this type of company specializes in personal development, others simply sell the hardware and software, allowing individual business owners to install and control the surveillance equipment themselves.

However, in spite of the growth and potential in this industry, there are certainly ramifications and threats from technological and legal standpoints. From a legal standpoint, the most often cited issue deals with the Fourth Amendment right to privacy. Hundreds of cases have come before local, state, and federal courts regarding this issue and all sides appear to have very different ideas of what constitutes a violation of privacy, in relation to video surveillance. For example, in cases of workplace surveillance, most courts hold to the concept that employees in a place of business should hold no expectation of privacy, since their employers have a vested and rightful interest in any activity occurring in the public work area. Video surveillance of public parks and streets has again often found support in the courts, since these are areas of public places, and generally do not fall under reasonable expectations of privacy (Hatcher, 2001).

However, in other cases, the issues are not as clear. For example, in the Virginia Court of Appeals in 1999, a man's conviction for using a spy camera to videotape underneath women's dresses on a public fairground was overturned, with the note that no expectation of privacy should have been held by the women. In this case, the local court's belief that this type of surveillance violated the Fourth Amendment obviously did not agree with the opinions of the State court (Hatcher, 2001). Additional cases have been noted both in favor of and against the placement of video surveillance in such places as fitting rooms and school locker rooms.