Smart Cameras Detect Crime, Erode Privacy

MattSparkes writes "Smart surveillance systems could identify crimes as they take place, if a computer vision system developed at the University of Texas goes into production. The system is capable of classifying behaviour as friendly or violent. In the past there have been attempts to spot unusual behaviour, but this required subsequent user classification. These new systems may keep us more secure, but is it worth sacrificing our privacy for? And will we see false positives, where police cars screech to a halt beside hugging couples?"

Comments

Why stop there?

[krell]

"hell if you dont want one of the security cameras outside being able to see in your home simply set up a cheap laser firing into it's lens when it points at your home."

If you are going to have people engaged in violent gun crimes to "Stop the Cameras" and use lasers to "intrude" into public property to destroy things, why not use the lasers also to blind any passersby who might look at you too?