Law enforcement and intelligence agencies employ surveillance tools online to keep track of, record, and analyze digital activity. These include security software that is online and hardware cameras that connect to a server in order to store and manage data. Surveillance systems can be used to monitor the location of an individual, determine their physical attributes and detect any suspicious behaviour. They can be used to detect possible sabotage or theft of sensitive information.
Governments must ensure that the creation and acquisition of surveillance technology, as well as their use and operation are governed by privacy and human rights principles. This includes ensuring the protection of autonomy of the individual and limiting data collection and storage. This means setting clear limits to the information gathered and ensuring that such technology is only used when necessary and appropriate this link to meet legitimate goals in a specific context, and providing legal advice to individuals who are concerned about its use.
Human rights groups believe that the widespread use of these technologies could make police officers abuse their discretion and power. A number of US agencies have reportedly used surveillance software, including facial recognition and social media mining, to monitor people and travelers in public places or to monitor activists and protesters.
BrickHouse Security offers a variety of counter surveillance tools that protect privacy and prevent unwanted monitoring. These include portable detectors that can sweep a space in a matter of seconds to find hidden cameras, as well as white noise masking devices that stop recording devices from picking voices up.
