Two interesting books have just been published discussing the ever increasing use of UK Government surveillance on its citizens.
AC Graylings Liberty in the Age of Terror deals with the way that the public through its own compliancy and indifference is slowing giving away many of its hard won civil liberties. Although, he recognises that there is a need for tools to solve the current terror threats, he is concerned that too many of our freedoms are being eroded on a daily basis with no real public discussion taking place.
Ground Control: Fear and Happiness in the 21st Century City by Anna Minton is another look at the UK’s CCTV coverage and the impact it is having on us, particularly with regards to what we once thought were our public spaces, but are now fast becoming privatised and under the control of yet more invasive CCTV. As with the previous book, Minton points out that many of these changes are happening under our noses and it would appear without any kind of informed public debate.
Both books are must reads, highlighting the seemingly unstoppable way in which the UK continues to move towards being one of the most monitored countries in the world with every one of its citizens a number in a database and their images being tracked as they go about their daily business.
Beasley's Place 