Comments on: These Cameras Don’t Forget a Face

By: Eleanor

Eleanor — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 04:04:40 +0000

As all the above comments have already summed up my thoughts on this matter I only have one thing to say…
Big Brother is watching.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 16:09:54 +0000

Amen James. You hit the nail on the head (pun intended). This is EXACTLY what needs to be brought up every time we hear “if you aren’t breaking the law, you have nothing to worry about.“
It isn’t about whether or not these cameras have the capability of capturing real criminals on film (or the digital equivalent thereof), it’s about each of our rights to a certain degree of privacy, even in public places. If we are whispering, for instance, we should feel safe that our secrets are secret, and not being picked up by uber-sensitive microphones or lip reading cameras.
Or that we aren’t going to be arrested for the actions of that mythical “double” with similar eyes and hair we are all rumored to have.

By: danger moose

danger moose — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 15:42:40 +0000

Pete, you’ve stumbled onto a little known feature of Flash.
Not only does it try to access your camera & microphone, it allows the webpage to access space on your OS partition so that whoever wrote that webpage can upload anything (s)he wants without fear that antivirus software or a firewall will block it.
Neat, huh?

By: Pete

Pete — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 01:20:27 +0000

I got your latest blog via my RSS feed and it intrigued me. I surfed on over to the link you kindly provided, and watched their Flash demo. You might want to try it yourself, and when it’s playing, right click it. It’s attempting to gain access to your webcam and microphone!!!!!
Now, you’ll notice that when you attempt to watch the demo, it asks you to register. So, assuming someone has a relatively poorly secured system (like most) then they have collected all your information (assuming you filled in your real name and details), AND they have your face, AND your voice. Given the type of technology they flog, how’s that for compiling a nice little database.
Kind regards, and I love your work.
Pete, in Australia

By: James

James — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 17:40:22 +0000

I like the comment, "fear spreads as well." I think this neatly sums up the modern relationship between authority and the individual. The American Experiment rested on the theory that people were equals, that they were fundamentally capable of mutually beneficial behavior, and that fear did not enter into the equation. Liberty was the absence of fear. That's gone from us now. What is being implanted into our minds is the unfocused, amorphous dread that we are being watched, everywhere, all the time. "If you don't break the law, you have nothing to be afraid of," except, of course, fear itself. That fear, the sense that the "nail that stands up will be beaten down," will put a chill on future generations. This generation has turned its back on America. That country is receding from us, and we're living in a squiggle on a map.