ABSTRACT
We collude with surveillance systems, whether willingly or reluctantly, wittingly or unwittingly. But if we object, we are unsure of our grounds for so doing. (Lyon, 1994: 18)
Introduction
It has become almost a journalistic cliche when writing about Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance to note that from the moment we leave the privacy of our homes, we are under almost permanent camera surveillance. The ubiquity of the cameras can be seen from their deployment in town centres, shopping malls, retail outlets and on the railway and tube networks. Traffic cameras monitor our speed and compliance with red lights and, schools, hospitals, universities and leisure centres are increasingly coming under the camera's gaze. In short, in almost every area to which we have public access a camera is probably monitoring our movements. This book is an attempt to account for the rise of photographic surveillance in the context of 1990s Britain and to consider the issues that arise from the omnipresence of surveillance cameras in public space. Before outlining in more detail the contents of the book, this introductory chapter seeks to explore some of the more general aspects of the relationship between CCTV, power and surveillance.
