The Commercialization of Surveillance Technology

As the use of surveillance technology has grown its market and users have expanded as well. This includes the installation and monitoring of surveillance networks, and the increase in commercial surveillance.

With many countries and even cities augmenting their surveillance programs and expanding them there are many opportunities for companies to profit. These companies have adapted to and expanded their own markets by embracing the surveillance market. China's golden shield project, a system of millions of surveillance cameras in china, is an example of the growth of this surveillance industry. China has employed companies like IBM, General Electric, and Honeywell to create a state of the art security/surveillance network which utilizes facial recognition software which will eventually include the faces of everyone in China. Another example would be the city of Chicago's virtual shield program. This program, using grants from the department of homeland security, created the most extensive video surveillance network in the United States. This network will continue to be added to and eventually, by 2016, the mayor predicts there will be a camera on every corner.

In addition to the expansion of the conventional surveillance industry in recent years, another form of industry has been growing. The use of commercial surveillance has become more, and more widespread in the last few years. Commercial surveillance is the monitoring of a group, or groups of people by a company for another company. This technology has grown in accordance with the new model for companies which involves increased research and awareness of consumer needs. One of the major proprietors of this industry is Google. Google uses both it's search engine, and the emails of people using gmail accounts in order to monitor the search habits, and activities of the people using it. Google also uses internet cookies to monitor the web surfing habits of those who click on and use Google. Google then gathers up this accumulated data and creates it's own ad campaigns and sells the data to other companies.

Our world is growing and so too are the areas and ways in which people are monitored. The main driving force behind these expansions are the companies of the world. I feel that the increased surveillance is both good and bad. Good in its potential for public safety, and effective market research. Bad in the Orwellian thoughts it conjures up, and for good reason. At this time however the costs seem small and the benefits big, os until that changes I will continue to support its use and implementation.