The next time Britons look at a CCTV, there may well be someone looking back from halfway round the world.
UK firm Internet Eyes will offer rewards to Australians for remotely monitoring a network of CCTV cameras and sending notifications to law enforcement of crimes in progress as of next month, the company announced this week. Watchers could earn up to A$1740 for detecting crimes like shoplifting, according to Australian newspaper The Age.
The service will be open to any Australian with a computer, who will then gain access to a randomly selected, periodically changing CCTV feed, with the instructions to watch for suspicious activity. The difference in time zone was cited by the company’s owner, Tony Morgan, as being advantageous, since Australians would be able to monitor night crime in the UK during their own daylight hours.
Advocates for civil liberties, however, are generally incensed. Michael Laurie, the head of the Crimestoppers charity, asserts that Internet Eyes is providing a "wide range of opportunities for abuse and error," according to Softpedia.
