back to article CCTV commish: Bring all surveillance systems under code of practice

The UK's surveillance camera commissioner has told the British government to adopt a "common sense position" and bring all bodies using surveillance camera systems under its code of practice. Tony Porter, whose term as commissioner was in 2017 extended for another three years, used his annual report, published yesterday, to …

  1. frank ly

    ANPR

    Also used in car parks and motorway service staions.

    1. Alister

      Re: ANPR

      Indeed.

      I noticed recently that our local branch of Sainsbury has an ANPR camera at the entrance to the car park - and proudly displays your registration number to you on a matrix sign as you drive in, along with a time at which you must exit again. I wonder how many pings a day the local plod get from that?

    2. Alan Brown Silver badge

      Re: ANPR

      It's used in car parks for time tracking and in service stations everywhere to identify driveaways (or driveaway risks).

      What they tell you is that these private, standalone ANPR readers are usually feeding into the police national databases as extra tracking points on top of the official ones.

  2. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    He makes a lot of sense

    ... so will probably be ignored :(

    1. handleoclast

      Re: He makes a lot of sense

      And if he kicks up enough fuss that he can't be ignored then he'll be fired.

      That's how government works. For very, very small values of "works."

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The government won't adopt any position unless it is forced to and the only body that could have forced them to just got voted out (EU), the other body (Electorate) that could force it to don't care.

    1. Teiwaz

      the other body (Electorate) that could force it to don't care.

      That's an over-simplification - it's not that the electorate don't care, it's they have gestalt communal memories.

      Long memories for some things, like the last war, while the memory retention of a dead fish for political blunders and the naivete of a small toddler in a lion cage when it comes to election time.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        There isn't any choice come election time and that's part of the problem, there is also the main stream media and its failure to highlight any of these issues. That's why gestalt doesn't apply in my opinion.

        1. Teiwaz

          That's why gestalt doesn't apply in my opinion.

          That was probably the wrong word to use - suggests a mind more than the sum of it's parts, and humanity generally produces a lower IQ with an en masse consciousness [see: Mobs, apple users*]

          * just kidding....

    2. codejunky Silver badge

      @AC

      "The government won't adopt any position unless it is forced to and the only body that could have forced them to just got voted out (EU), the other body (Electorate) that could force it to don't care."

      Good. The last thing we want is a political organisation making the rules just to justify their existence. Better a law is made with reason, otherwise we get banana and jam laws.

      1. phuzz Silver badge

        Re: @AC

        "Better a law is made with reason, otherwise we get banana and jam laws."

        Even after all these years, people still think the EU made a law concerning how bent a banana is allowed to be.

        1. codejunky Silver badge

          Re: @AC

          @ phuzz

          "Even after all these years, people still think the EU made a law concerning how bent a banana is allowed to be."

          Even after all these years and the fact being proven over and over with a punishment of fine and/or up to 6 months in jail some people still think the EU didnt make a law concerning the curvature of a banana.

          https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2016/05/12/to-properly-explain-the-eus-bendy-bananas-rules-yes-theyre-real/#b8013286fc9a

          1. Intractable Potsherd

            Re: @AC

            Even after all these years, there are still some people that still think it is important...

            1. codejunky Silver badge

              Re: @AC

              @ Intractable Potsherd

              You should be directing your comment to phuzz who apparently doesnt believe it is real. Hard to debate relevance when someone thinks these things are a lie!

          2. phuzz Silver badge

            Re: @AC

            That Forbes article does have some good selective quoting going on, from the actual law which they link to:

            " (iii) Class II

            This class covers bananas which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes but satisfy the minimum requirements specified above.

            The following defects of the fingers are allowed, provided the bananas retain their essential characteristics as regards quality, keeping quality and presentation:

            - defects of shape"

            (emphasis mine)

            1. codejunky Silver badge

              Re: @AC

              @ phuzz

              "That Forbes article does have some good selective quoting going on, from the actual law which they link to:"

              Can we just clarify first that you now accept there is a law? That your response was incorrect to claim the law didnt exist?

              Second the selective quoting you complain about is the law you claimed didnt exist. The fact that there are other classes with different laws does not change the absolute fact that the law does exist. Your comment wasnt debating the laws specifics but your comment made clear that such a law didnt exist. You were wrong.

              And then we return to the point of my comment that making law for laws sake is not a good thing which is in direct relation to the original comment "The government won't adopt any position unless it is forced to and the only body that could have forced them to just got voted out (EU)". Aka our government isnt very good so lets have another government above them (which I point out loves to micromanage).

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    FCC recently streamlined rules on utility pole use - of course I'm now a telecommunications provider

    All because of a butt-hurt traffic cop!

    12/27/2017 [inspector name redacted] INSP - INITIAL CODE ENFORCMENT Approved

    VISITED SITE, WALKED THE STRUCTURE FRONT AND REAR, FOUND SECURITY CAMERAS MOUNTED ON THE REAR OF STRUCTURE AND FOUND TWO CAMERAS MOUNTED ON A [local public utility] POLE AT THE FRONT CORNER OF THE PROPERTY. POLE WAS LOCATED ON THE SIDEWALK AREA JUST OFF THE CURB.

    I CONTACTED [probably code enforcement super] TO DETERMINE IF WE HAD JURISDICTION OVER [local public utility] EQUIPMENT, WE BOTH AGREED THAT WE DID NOT HAVE JURISDICTION, AND THEREFORE NO VIOLATIONS.

    COMPLAINCE / CLOSE CASE

  5. codejunky Silver badge

    Hmm

    On one hand I seem to agree with what he is arguing against. Yet I cannot help being cynical and wondering if it is a power grab-

    "as well as lobby for more resourcing for his office."

    1. Intractable Potsherd

      Re: Hmm

      Well, yes - he wants more power to regulate surveillance cameras because he doesn't have enough now. Like most government regulators that protect the populace from government and big business, his office is deliberately underfunded. To do otherwise might actually constrain the data fetishism.

  6. Spit The Dog

    Funny that the VT for the required timeslot is always missing or "overwritten" when your securely locked bike's been nicked.

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