Big data surveillance 'risks public's privacy'

Public privacy is at risk of mass scale invasion as an increasing use of Big Data and a surge in the amount of overt CCTV has left regulators struggling to keep pace, according to the UK's surveillance commissioner. Alongside the launch of a new three-year strategy on Tuesday, surveillance camera commissioner Tony Porter told the Guardian that the UK government is falling behind the pace at which new CCTV technology is being implemented. The 2017-2020 National Surveillance Camera Strategy for England and Wales, which was first proposed in October and has now passed through its consultation phase, aims to establish a code of practice for the use of CCTV equipment, including the use of body worn cameras and automatic number plate recognition. Under the strategy, disparate groups and regulators would be brought together in an attempt to create a set of coherent rules, limiting the use of surveillance cameras to times when it was deemed proportionate and necessary. However, Porter has expressed alarm that the increasing number of CCTV devices could lead to more invasive surveillance tactics than anticipated, as video footage is now being linked with data analysis tools like facial recognition or being cross referenced with other monitored personal data and activities.