The prerequisites for extra monitoring of public spaces are that it would result in safer daily life and that it be done as a reaction to suspected crime.
The acceptance for extra security measures sinks rapidly when not associated with crime prevention. The oldest segment of the population has the greatest reservations against surveillance, according to a survey carried out by Norstat for the Norwegian Board of Technology.
The result will make interesting reading for the newly formed Personal Privacy Commission. This commission has a Dec. 8 2008 deadline for delivering a comprehensive status report outlining the challenges facing the protection of personal privacy.
"The challenge posed by the furious pace of technological development will be central to the task," said Minister of Government Administration and Reform Heidi Grande Røys when the commission was formed.
The commission's work will be part of the information considered for creating guidelines for security technology in the European Union.
