I vaguely remember playing this game, “I spy with my two little eyes and I see a brown circle with 2 dots.” Everyone would make an attempt to guess what you had spied. I am also too familiar with the fights that followed, or the conning that ensues because someone gets the answer right at their very first attempt. But I had not spied, I saw and it evoked questions that I feel need wider consultation and public awareness. That is the increasing number of CCTV installations in Honiara – certainly, you have seen a couple at the banks but have you ever given thought to issues such as privacy and your right to refuse being “caught” on those cameras?
For those who may not be too familiar with the term, let us spend the next two lines explaining it. CCTV stands for Closed Circuit Television. Unlike the TV that we are used to, CCTV signals are not broadcast to the public, instead they are hooked to a recording machine through a series of circuits and are primarily used for surveillance and security.
In many countries of the world, the technology has received praise and has been used to catch criminals, many proponents of the system arguing that it does prevent crime. The alleged Israeli hit squad that assassinated a Hamas official in Dubai were caught on CCTV at the Dubai hotel where the hit took place.
In the Solomon Islands, the technology is used primarily at banks and some private company compounds. However, I found one that took me by surprise. It is located outside the Australian Embassy at Mud Alley. It is pointed at the gate entrance and it is not immediately visible. My instincts immediately compelled me to look around the vicinity to see if a notice had been put up to inform public that the compound is being monitored by video surveillance – there was none to be seen. That was a major concern and I felt that some public notice should have been put in place to inform pedestrians on the footpath that they may be caught on camera, even if you are not going to the Australian Embassy.
Why am I concerned about privacy. Simply because you are entitled to it and although we can give the Australian Embassy the benefit of the doubt, what if some other organization decided to place CCTV that have the capacity to capture a footage of you going about your business, unaware that you are being monitored. For me, its a scary thought. This is why it is important the some legislation is made to ensure that organizations that use this technology must be legally required to inform the public of its presence on their compound.
The banks have a responsibility to their customers to tell them that their footage can be captured on camera, how long it will be kept and for what purpose it can be used. It is our right to be informed, it is our right to maintain some form of privacy.
I remember at the Sydney airport reading a sign that clearly informed all arriving passengers that they are monitored on camera for the TV series, Borders. It also informed passengers that if they wished to be exempted that they must inform an airport official immediately. Why would this be important? Because of privacy, that no one is allowed to capture you on camera without your prior consent.
Finally, I am not condemning the decision to deploy a CCTV at the Australian Embassy – I am simply saying that if the use of this technology should become prevalent in our society, Solomon Islanders must be aware of its implications. They must be adequately informed about their right to privacy and their right of refusal. The right to make our decisions based on our good conscience is what sets us apart from an innate object like the camera.