In recent years, advantages in technology have allowed governments, the police and privately owned companies to keep the public under constant surveillance. In many major cities and towns, security cameras are recording the movements of ordinary citizens. Whenever a cellphone is used, the call is logged, so the service provider knows exactly when and where the user made the call. Invisible satellites orbit on Earth, watching us whether we like it or not. Is this, however, a development we should welcome? Certainly there are benefits. In areas where there is a high crime rate, the use of security cameras may act as a deterrent to criminals: if they can see camera, they may think twice about braking into a building or stealing a car. If a crime is carried out, then a camera may provide useful evidence. The same is true for a cellphone; the police sometimes rely on call logs to help them trace the whereabouts of suspects or victims. On the other hand, there are a number of concerns. In countries where human rights are ignored, the use of security cameras or listening devices may be harmful to society. People should be able to hold meetings and express their opinions without their privacy being invaded. There is also a very different issue we should consider. Nowadays, many people upload personal information and photographs onto social networking sites; they often do not realise how easy it is for other people to view this information or for the site owners to use the data or photographs for their own financial gain. It seems inevitable that there will be more and more ways to monitor society in the future. However, it is our responsibility to evaluate new technology and decide whether it will do more harm than good. Surely our freedom is more valuable than technological progress.
In recent years, advantages in technology have
allowed
governments
, the police and
privately
owned
companies
to
keep
the public under constant surveillance. In
many
major cities and towns, security
cameras
are recording the movements of ordinary citizens. Whenever a cellphone is
used
, the call
is logged
,
so
the service provider knows exactly when and where the user made the call. Invisible satellites orbit on Earth, watching us whether we like it or not. Is this,
however
, a development we should welcome?
Certainly
there are benefits. In areas where there is a high crime rate, the
use
of security
cameras
may act as a deterrent to criminals: if they can
see
camera
, they may
think
twice about braking into a building or stealing a car. If a crime
is carried
out, then a
camera
may provide useful evidence. The same is true for a cellphone; the police
sometimes
rely on call logs to
help
them trace the whereabouts of suspects or victims.
On the other hand
, there are a number of concerns. In countries where human rights are
ignored
, the
use
of security
cameras
or listening devices may be harmful to society.
People
should be able to hold meetings and express their opinions without their privacy
being invaded
. There is
also
a
very
different
issue we should consider. Nowadays,
many
people
upload personal information and photographs onto social networking sites; they
often
do not
realise
how easy it is for other
people
to view this information or for the site owners to
use
the data or photographs for their
own
financial gain. It seems inevitable that there will be more and more ways to monitor society in the future.
However
, it is our responsibility to evaluate new technology and decide whether it will do more harm than
good
.
Surely
our freedom is more valuable than technological progress.