Privacy Falls Down in London

Is privacy becoming a thing of the past in Britain? The number of closed-circuit cameras in the UK is actually stunning...

Britain is already the most tightly surveilled country in the world, according to civil liberty groups and security experts, with an estimated 4 million closed-circuit television cameras spying on roads, buildings, stations and shops.

Not only does that equate to one camera for every 14 people, it also means that in a major city like London -- where CCTV is ubiquitous -- people run the possibility of appearing on camera up to 300 times a day as they move around.

During a business trip to England in 1998, I remember my colleague pointing out all the cameras in his small town. I was surprised. Others have been for a while, too. Unfortunately, it looks like these issues may be coming to the U.S. as New York prepares to roll out 115 cameras that report to a central surveillance facility.