Privacy and life-recording devices

I recently came across an ad in a catalogue (or catalog, as you may prefer) that I would like to comment about. You can also peruse it at http://www.spygear4u.com/proddetail.asp?prod=AM-TC246



The camera records whatever happens in front of your car while you drive. Sorry, I wrote “you drive” but I meant “someone drives” your car. Again my apologies, I wrote “your car” while there is no certainty that it was actually your car rather than any other car.

Serious as the drawbacks above may seem, some other things strike me even more. For obvious marketing reasons, the device is supposed to work only in your favour, purportedly protecting you from evil law enforcement officers. According to the advertising agency, those wicked beings will certainly use against you whatever you say in the stressful post-accident theatre while they overlook to note down the weather conditions and other events which may set you free from liability. Therefore, the ad implies that you have to protect yourself from those who draw their salaries from your taxes (i.e. the police and the courts).

Furthermore, the camera will also record everything you did wrong. Is by any chance 100% of what you do lawful and responsible when you are at the steering wheel (or elsewhere, for that matter)? What if you are driving and one of those “scary” law enforcement officers stops you and finds out that yesterday you parked in a tow-away zone (en español, una zona donde aparcas y se lo lleva la grúa)? Will it also record that you are (for instance) an emergency doctor and just managed to save someone’s life? Perhaps if you are doing something illegal, you should also record the reasons why, in case the tape ends up in the traffic authorities’ hands.

Finally, the toy does not record either what happens in your surroundings. Another ad which comes to my mind now is one I always found rather irresponsible where a monkey pointed a crossbow (en español, una ballesta) at a driver. He had to speed up for his life and reasonably disregarded each and all of the speed limits. I would have, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNoj3F9kn18

If you want to read more (this time in Spanish) about having your life recorded on video, click here. http://www.elpais.com/articulo/portada/espionaje/aceptado/elpepusoceps/20080113elpepspor_14/Tes/ Although I tend to disagree with Javier Marías more often than not, this time he made a good point. The willingness to keep your life away from a video camera does not involve that you need to hide something wrong. Sometimes you do things the Big Brother does not (or should not) care about.