Surveillance Camera Video Finding Its Way To YouTube

from the you-have-no-privacy-anywhere dept

While governments like to talk about how security and surveillance camera footage is in safe hands with the government, it probably won't surprise many of you to find out that's simply not the case at all. Officials in New Jersey are apparently increasingly annoyed to find highway surveillance video of highway accidents consistently finding its way to YouTube. They're trying to crack down on the practice, but that seems unlikely to be particularly effective. This seems like a good time to second the call for some recognition of "Harper's Law": "The security and privacy risks increase proportionally to the square of the number of users of the data." Remember that the next time the government wants to set up some large database and insists your data will be kept private. Update: And now, New Jersey is suing YouTube over the videos. Nice work there. The state is unable to keep the videos private -- and rather than punish themselves, they sue YouTube.
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  • identicon
    Komataguri, 24 May 2007 @ 6:21pm

    When there are people involved, information will become public.


    The only thing we can do is limit the damage by NOT bowing to the governments desire to create an all inclusive database that will have everything from your name, address and bloodtype to your favorite color and political views.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Mr. R, 24 May 2007 @ 6:55pm

    Secrets

    Reminds me of the saying: Three people can keep a secret if two of them are dead.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    zcat, 24 May 2007 @ 7:24pm

    another saying..

    If two know it, it's no secret.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    shaz, 24 May 2007 @ 7:43pm

    self development

    three is a crowd who will shout it out loud
    two is a secret to which they have vowed
    1 is a silence that cant be broken

    but this aint a comment about my lyrical token

    ________________________________________________
    A journey of a young, UK based, Muslim
    http://www.islam4me.co.uk

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Sanguine Dream, 24 May 2007 @ 10:02pm

    Great...


    The state is unable to keep the videos private -- and rather than punish themselves, they sue YouTube.


    Let me guess they are suing for some form of infringement right?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Ajax 4Hire, 24 May 2007 @ 10:31pm

    Sunshine laws, there is a reason they are called

    Sunshine laws.
    You cannot hid you activity under a rock for long.
    If it is the government, then it is you.

    You cannot sue the government because 'it' says that you would be suing yourself. This also means that the government cannot sue the people because that is the people simply suing itself.

    Government cannot keep secret just because it might embarass someone.
    Sunshine laws.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Avatar28, 25 May 2007 @ 12:45am

    aren't government created videos public domain?

    Like with the lawsuit over the copied C-span videos. The lawsuit had no legs because the video was shot by the government and therefore is automatically public domain. Would the same rule not apply to the traffic camera videos? In any case, sounds like NJ is about to get a good explanation of the Streisand Effect.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Totoro, 25 May 2007 @ 3:59am

      Re: aren't government created videos public domain

      What's the Streisand Effect? Sorry to ask, but I'm in the UK, and have clearly missed something.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Faceless Minion, 25 May 2007 @ 6:26am

        Re: Re: aren't government created videos public do

        In short, with the dawning of the interwebs, the more you try and cover up something once its out into the net, the more publicity you generate for it.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Sea Man, 25 May 2007 @ 7:54am

    not suprised

    The key words here are "New" and "Jersey".

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Hagbard Celine, 25 May 2007 @ 9:47am

    Best of Mall Cop videos?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Hagbard Celine, 25 May 2007 @ 9:49am

    Best of Mall Cop videos?

    Hey, ix-nay on the cop-car videos. I want to see Mall Cop "Best of" compliations! THink about all the teenage tarts that the average suburban mall contains. Think about all the surveillance cameras. THink about bored, minimum-wage mall cops. Do you think that a huge quantity of micro-mini-skirt, nipple-popper and cleavage videos don't exist? Do these show up on You-Tube?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Coises (profile), 25 May 2007 @ 1:30pm

    public + public + public + public = state secret?

    A public entity uses public funds to set up a camera to record occurences in a public place --- presumably without a warrant, since there would be no specifics known in advance, and therefore presumably doing nothing that would not be permissible for any ordinary member of the public. Can someone explain to me why the resulting video wouldn't be public property anyway? If I do something embarassing in the middle of Main Street, since when do I have a complaint if someone publishes a picture of it? Peeking in my window is one thing, but if I make an ass of myself in front of your face, isn't that my problem?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Clueby4, 25 May 2007 @ 2:30pm

    Copyright Law - Government works

    INAL, but aren't government's and their contractor's (ie "Work for Hire") EXEMPT from copyright protection?!?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    tilak ahuja, 1 Dec 2010 @ 8:52am

    Business Alarms

    it is good on Surveillance Camera Video Finding Its Way To YouTube. In short, with the dawning of the interwebs, the more you try and cover up something once its out into the net, the more publicity you generate for it. It is good one. http://safetechalarms.com/

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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