ABSTRACT
We are fast approaching a world in which persistent and absolute identification of the individual is a possibility. In fact, many believe we have already surpassed the technological impediments to such a reality, having only to engender the collective social, economic and political will for its arrival. With absolute identity comes absolute freedom, or so the story goes (Garfinkel 2001). Freedom requires a foundation of trust, however, and trust begins with the opportunity for properly informed consent. This chapter will explore some of the privacy implications concomitant with the continued spread and technological development of global open-street camera surveillance systems. The municipality of Hoboken, New Jersey, USA was used for a city-wide surveillance case study and the data collection effort included 500 voluntary and anonymous pencil and paper public opinion surveys solicited from individuals at various locations and at various times throughout the city. Where appropriate, those survey results are incorporated for comparative purposes and particular focus will be given to discussing the issue of informed consent vis-à-vis the presence or absence of public signage as well as the uncertainty that clouds the decision-making models that govern our daily privacy concerns. The gradual leakage of personal information to our technological environment has not only created a growing security threat, but also an opportunity to recast privacy as a form of security in public debate.
