The survey of 2112 people, conducted for D-Link by independent research company TNS, suggests that last summer’s UK riots was a tipping point in public acceptance of law enforcement surveillance. Asked, “in light of the successful identification and prosecution of UK rioters do you think more people will be accepting of CCTV?”, 86% of respondents agreed.
“Traditionally, privacy has been a major concern when it comes to the use of CCTV,” said Adrian Edwards, consumer solutions manager at D-Link. “However, it now looks like the British public are becoming more accepting of it and see it as an effective deterrent.”
People are also turning to private CCTV to protect their homes. Asked if a personal CCTV home monitoring camera were easy to set up, 68% of people said they would use one. But it’s not our home-alone pets that we want to check (14%), nor even the landlord (only 8%, even though he may well have his own key), but it’s our neighbors that we distrust. Asked “who or what would you like to keep an eye on while you are away?”, 63% replied ‘neighbors.’
“It is understandable that people can get worried about the safety of their home and possessions,” said Edwards, “especially if they are away on holiday or are on business for an extended period of time... Fortunately, the latest home monitoring cameras, advances in mobile technology and the ubiquity of internet connectivity, has meant that home security is becoming more readily attainable for a lot people.”