UK: Shoreditch's digital expansion a "21st century Big Brother"
01 November 2005
Shoreditch, in Hackney, London, will implement Europe's largest broadband expansion when the
Shoreditch Digital Bridge goes live early in 2006. Principally funded by the Shoreditch Trust (a government funded community association), the broadband network will deliver a range of services to 1,000 local residents from March with the total number of households receiving the service expected to be over 20,000 by the end of the year. For the price of £3.50 a week residents will receive cheap local calls, digital TV, public service channels and high-speed access to the internet.
Alarmingly however, included in the package is "real time access to online community webcams across the estates that can be monitored by residents in their homes, through the network". This channel, already dubbed "Asbo TV" will provide access to the borough's 400+ CCTV cameras through which residents will be able to identify suspicious characters and report crimes, anti-social behaviour and ASBO breaches. Residents will be able to refer to an online gallery of those subject to orders and then use an anonymous e-mail system to report transgressions to the police.
This scheme under which residents will effectively be able to spy on each other could facilitate vindictive behaviour. Local councillors have also warned that burglars could use the channel to monitor empty premises. Atul Hatwell, a member of the
Shoreditch Digital Bridge project claimed "the CCTV element is part curiosity, like a 21st-century version of Big Brother..." It is also difficult to see the scheme being compatible with the UK Information Commissioner's CCTV code of practice which stresses the importance of ensuring "access to, and disclosure of, the images recorded by CCTV and similar surveillance equipment is restricted and carefully controlled..."
Haringey Council has recently taken a similar approach after allocating £150,000 to fund video cameras which victims of anti-social behaviour can use to gather evidence. The money will also go towards the employment of "professional witnesses" people paid to observe persisting anti-social behaviour and give evidence in court.
BBC News Website 10/1/06; The Sunday Times 8/1/06; The Register 30/12/05; Shoreditch Digital Trust: http://www.shoreditchtrust.org.ukd