Video surveillance, public space and fundamental rights

Abstract

The massive presence of cameras in the public space is not neutral in terms of rights and freedoms. Insofar as we are addressing an increasingly panoptic public space, it is necessary to reconsider whether the guarantees of rights are sufficient, given that technological development means that today video cameras can obtain, track, process and disseminate information in a manner that, without the necessary guarantees, may become dehumanising. This paper contextualises video surveillance and the latest technological developments within the framework of the society of liquid surveillance and details the rights and freedoms that may be affected when the latter is employed in the public space. Finally, there is analysis of the legal treatment of video surveillance in the public space and space that is accessible but with private security and the shortcomings of legal systems.