You are never alone...

Since the terrorist attacks (known as 9/11) against the United States we cannot go abroad without being strictly checked-up. And as time has gone by, more and more surveillance cameras have been put up in almost every street corner. On top of that, every move we make on the Internet is can be checked as well. Is this what we really want, to be controlled everywhere we go? Is this kind of surveillance necessary to prevent crimes and other bad things from happening?

On an airport, you go through several security check-ups. You are being asked whether you have packed your bags yourself and if you have left it unattended at any time. These questions can seem quite annoying, since you know that you have not packed anything dangerous. However, these check-ups are there for a reason; to guarantee our security on the airplane. If something would happen, I would not be comfortable in knowing that it could have been prevented by a simple question or by an extra check-up. In this matter, I think that surveillance is a good thing and I would not want to live without it.

Likewise, we are being supervised on the street, often by hidden surveillance cameras. Some people think that this takes away their freedom, but what if something would happen to them? If my sister (or me, for that matter) would be raped, I would want the rapist to be caught in some way. If he had been caught on tape, that job would be a whole lot easier. What I am afraid of, though, is that these tapes could be used by someone with criminal intentions. I have nothing against being watched over, as long as these cameras are there in order to make my world more secure.

Last, but certainly not least, I want to discuss the fact that every site that we visit on the Internet can be checked. To be honest, I have nothing against that either, as long as I am not being checked just for the sake of checking. I want this technology to be used as a way of finding evidence against criminals, like people that visit child pornography sites.

My ideas above may indicate that surveillance is good as long as no one checks me up. The fact is, though, that I am for this kind of surveillance as long as it makes our society more secure. I have nothing at all against being checked-up on an airport, since I know that the reason is to guarantee mine and my co-travelers’ security. And when it comes to surveillance on the streets and check-ups on the Internet, I am for it as long as it is not being misused.