You should spend 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people believe that advances in technology designed to reduce crimes, such as closed circuit television systems, invade the personal privacy of innocent people. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

It is opined that security systems to curb crimes such as surveillance cameras are interfering with the privacy of the common people. I disagree to the view to a great extent.

The prime reason behind my disagreement is because it is used in places where there are high risks of crimes. To be precise, public places such as bus stations, rail stations and cinemas are vulnerable to crime and it is essential for the law enforcing authority to monitor these areas. Statistics show there was 13% decline in the rate of crime after installation of surveillence cameras in the UK. This includes a 20% decline in drug-related crimes and 14% decline in the vehicle and property crimes.

The second reason why I object the argument is because this type of monitoring are working based on certain principles like necessity, proportionality, transparency et cetera. This means the citizens are made aware of its objectives, the number of cameras and the areas of operation. This made the system so popular in countries like the UK, where there is at least one camera per 13 people. In 2020, there were more than 5 million CCTV cameras in the UK.

However, lack of confidentiality of the data when it is operated by private firms is an unresolved crisis. To explain it further, this information can be manipulated by wrong hands and lead to many cyber-crimes including cyber bullying and blackmailing.

To conclude, though technological advanced devices such as closed circuit cameras help to curtail crimes significantly, some privacy concerns still exist.

Expected band score: 7.5