Exploiting Power With Spy Cameras
Maddy Herts
There is this one case involving a professor who used a hidden camera disguised as a button to record misbehaving students in school. The students and their families have filed complaints against the said professor for "abusing her authority" and filming the students without their consent. True, it was illicit for the professor to do such, but if we look at it the other manner, we could see that what the professor was actually doing was exposing these behavioral concerns to the public so that they can be addressed appropriately. I'm somewhat sure that the Virginia Tech tragedy is still fresh on all people's minds. Such behavioral tendencies could have been detected beforehand and subsequently prevented the tragedy from occurring. If a covert spy camera is what it takes to avoid such tragic incidents, then I would not mind teachers filming their students at school at all.
Still there are also some who misuse the benefits of hidden video cameras. I will suppose everyone is aware of concerns of scandalous demeanor caught on video that are being used to blackmail an individual. Or those that blatantly invades somebody's privacy as in putting covert cameras in areas wherein surveillance isn't necessary, like the restroom or personal rooms for purposes of personal satisfaction or malicious intent. Stalking utilizing spy video cameras is also another form of misuse of this technology.
But there's one thing that surprises me. A couple of homeowners utilize nanny cameras to monitor their baby-sitters and house maids while they are away. And these nannies aren't attentive of the existence of the spy camera until they get caught performing some monkey business and confronted about it. But nobody seems to be whining. When they get caught abusing a kid or doing something inappropriate, the issue of the nanny's right to privacy is never raised. It is because the owners have the power to do whatever they want to secure the family and the nanny did something incorrect.
So when is the utilization of concealed surveillance cameras justified and when is it not? Seemingly, the thin red demarcation dividing them is much thinner than we believe. When the individual using the surveillance camera is in power, its utilization is justified. Nevertheless, if resorting to use concealed spy cameras would make us safer, then I am for it. Besides, why will I worry about it when I'm not doing anything that's against the law or is morally incorrect? Yet just as long as they maintain well behind the line, it would not be an issue.