Privacy issues

Question 1

monitoring the location of citizens

Answer 1

• mobile phone service providers keep records of calls and texts that are sent and received
• the location of a phone can be tracked 24/7 by comparing the phone’s signal strength from different phone masts
• passports are scanned at airports and immigration checkpoints when we travel abroad
• our movements in and out of different countries are monitored

Question 2

surveillance cameras

Answer 2

• Britain has the largest network of surveillance cameras in Europe
• people can be tracked in most cities

-automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) makes it possible to track all road vehicles automatically

Question 3

monitoring what you do

Answer 3

• online activity is recorded and used by internet service providers
• use of credit and debit cards allows the banks to know when, where and how much money you spend

Question 4

social networking sites

Answer 4

they store a vast amount of information about our movements, communications, habits and activities

care should be taken about what is posted on these sites

geotagging from photos posted online can be used to monitor movements

Question 5

advantages of surveillance cameras

Answer 5

• assist with public safety by preventing antisocial and criminal activity
• can be used to locate missing people
• recordings of crime can be used as evidence

Question 6

disadvantages of surveillance cameras

Answer 6

• people can wear masks to protect their faces being seen on camera
• recorded images are often of too poor quality to be used as evidence
• people have a right to privacy and to not be filmed and recorded when they go out
• it is a violation of a person’s civil rights