4 ms·

Don't forget the home. With the ubiquity of security cameras privacy is eroding even in private. I am struggling now with properly placing cameras in an apartme

Don't forget the home. With the ubiquity of security cameras privacy is eroding even in private. I am struggling now with properly placing cameras in an apartment and balancing safety, security, and privacy in a family environment.

hutzlibu 4y ago
Why do you want to place cameras in your apartment in the first place? Maybe one camera for the entrance, if you have reasons to be paranoid (I was thinking about it for myself, because of weird landlord with second keys), but why more cameras? edit: one further reason for myself I remembered, watching the small kids from the smartphone, while going out for some minutes. But in the end I never set it up
- BlargMcLarg 4y ago
  Catching acts of domestic violence would be a reason. To prevent he said/she said instances. NB: I don't agree with the increasing paranoia, it's just devil's advocate.
  - hutzlibu 4y ago
    Ok, if you have to worry about that, than the solution is probably rather to get a divorce. (are secret cameras a legal way to get evidence?)
    - BlargMcLarg 4y ago
      Divorce alone barely ever works, it's not as simple as that. I'd rather not stir the hornet's nest any further as the topic itself is far more delicate than that. It's just an example of why an increasingly distrustful populace might opt to secure themselves through home surveillance. >are secret cameras a legal way to get evidence? Depends entirely on the context and where you live. There are no universal surveillance laws. There are also social aspects outside the realm of court why one would opt to do so.
  - bigDinosaur 4y ago
    The most common reasons I've encountered: - people put rooms up on Airbnb and are (perhaps understandably) paranoid about things being stolen. It goes too far if there are cameras in bedrooms though. - people want to monitor their kids - general monitoring to catch anyone who breaks in while they are out etc. Have personally never heard of putting cameras inside for catching domestic violence: I suspect that abusers may be 'smart' in the sense that they'll catch on to this pretty quickly and prevent someone from doing it or manipulate the situation.
    - giraffe_lady 4y ago
      Abusers are far far more likely to use cameras against their victims than they are to allow a camera that could be used against them. Technology-enabled surveillance is already a major part of a contemporary domestic abuser's toolkit, this is not even theoretical.
  - SethMurphy 4y ago
    Hadn't thought of that one. If domestic violence is between young brothers, this may be useful.
- SethMurphy 4y ago
  1. Security I live in a leased ground level floor through apartment with three entrances not including 6 accessible windows. In order to cover an entrance from inside some of the living space would need to be included. To fully cover I would need 5 cameras and have them in bedrooms too. Exterior cameras could help, but I have no authority to install. While I have no specific reason to worry, I wouldn't want my landlord to install them and be able to see what/who comes in and out of the apartment and/or raise the rent because of it. Even just covering the 2 main entrances I find it uncomfortable to be able to know when my spouse is entering/exiting the home, I trust them. 2. Kids When you need it you need it. Like when I was isolating with covid. However it is their privacy I am concerned also as I don't want them to think it's OK to be surveilled. 3. Safety Did I leave the stove on? Not so important, but since one entrance is a galley kitchen I easily monitor this and the rear entrance. Is the basement flooding? This is actually a big one for me. Installing one here however would mean potentially spying on the landlord which I would not do without explicit permission.
  - giraffe_lady 4y ago
    None of these seem actionable to me. What are you trying to prevent that a camera would stop? If the basement is visibly flooding then it is flooded. If someone is on camera entering your home then they are in it. What are you going to do about it at that point that you wouldn't be able to do about it the next morning or whatever? Insurance doesn't require camera footage and realistically the most likely outcome of any of this stuff is an insurance claim. The kids thing I don't know, it certainly depends on your family's circumstances and your personal concerns with your children, who you know and I don't. There are definitely situations where a camera can be worth it there, but not as many as most contemporary wealthy parents seem to think.
    - SethMurphy 4y ago
      Yes, some may be un-actionable, but there are actions I could take on others (e.g. flooding is not equal to flooded in my situation). Whether they are worth it is still not clear to me. As my kids a getting older it is not so important to monitor them without special circumstances. I do fail to see where wealth has anything to do with this though. Edit: Moved edit to reply that was not an option before.
maigret 4y ago
Some cameras can be physically shut with a lid. It’s a feature especially found at German providers like Bosh.

hutzlibu 4y ago

Why do you want to place cameras in your apartment in the first place? Maybe one camera for the entrance, if you have reasons to be paranoid (I was thinking about it for myself, because of weird landlord with second keys), but why more cameras? edit: one further reason for myself I remembered, watching the small kids from the smartphone, while going out for some minutes. But in the end I never set it up

BlargMcLarg 4y ago
Catching acts of domestic violence would be a reason. To prevent he said/she said instances. NB: I don't agree with the increasing paranoia, it's just devil's advocate.
- hutzlibu 4y ago
  Ok, if you have to worry about that, than the solution is probably rather to get a divorce. (are secret cameras a legal way to get evidence?)
  - BlargMcLarg 4y ago
    Divorce alone barely ever works, it's not as simple as that. I'd rather not stir the hornet's nest any further as the topic itself is far more delicate than that. It's just an example of why an increasingly distrustful populace might opt to secure themselves through home surveillance. >are secret cameras a legal way to get evidence? Depends entirely on the context and where you live. There are no universal surveillance laws. There are also social aspects outside the realm of court why one would opt to do so.
- bigDinosaur 4y ago
  The most common reasons I've encountered: - people put rooms up on Airbnb and are (perhaps understandably) paranoid about things being stolen. It goes too far if there are cameras in bedrooms though. - people want to monitor their kids - general monitoring to catch anyone who breaks in while they are out etc. Have personally never heard of putting cameras inside for catching domestic violence: I suspect that abusers may be 'smart' in the sense that they'll catch on to this pretty quickly and prevent someone from doing it or manipulate the situation.
  - giraffe_lady 4y ago
    Abusers are far far more likely to use cameras against their victims than they are to allow a camera that could be used against them. Technology-enabled surveillance is already a major part of a contemporary domestic abuser's toolkit, this is not even theoretical.
- SethMurphy 4y ago
  Hadn't thought of that one. If domestic violence is between young brothers, this may be useful.
SethMurphy 4y ago
1. Security I live in a leased ground level floor through apartment with three entrances not including 6 accessible windows. In order to cover an entrance from inside some of the living space would need to be included. To fully cover I would need 5 cameras and have them in bedrooms too. Exterior cameras could help, but I have no authority to install. While I have no specific reason to worry, I wouldn't want my landlord to install them and be able to see what/who comes in and out of the apartment and/or raise the rent because of it. Even just covering the 2 main entrances I find it uncomfortable to be able to know when my spouse is entering/exiting the home, I trust them. 2. Kids When you need it you need it. Like when I was isolating with covid. However it is their privacy I am concerned also as I don't want them to think it's OK to be surveilled. 3. Safety Did I leave the stove on? Not so important, but since one entrance is a galley kitchen I easily monitor this and the rear entrance. Is the basement flooding? This is actually a big one for me. Installing one here however would mean potentially spying on the landlord which I would not do without explicit permission.
- giraffe_lady 4y ago
  None of these seem actionable to me. What are you trying to prevent that a camera would stop? If the basement is visibly flooding then it is flooded. If someone is on camera entering your home then they are in it. What are you going to do about it at that point that you wouldn't be able to do about it the next morning or whatever? Insurance doesn't require camera footage and realistically the most likely outcome of any of this stuff is an insurance claim. The kids thing I don't know, it certainly depends on your family's circumstances and your personal concerns with your children, who you know and I don't. There are definitely situations where a camera can be worth it there, but not as many as most contemporary wealthy parents seem to think.
  - SethMurphy 4y ago
    Yes, some may be un-actionable, but there are actions I could take on others (e.g. flooding is not equal to flooded in my situation). Whether they are worth it is still not clear to me. As my kids a getting older it is not so important to monitor them without special circumstances. I do fail to see where wealth has anything to do with this though. Edit: Moved edit to reply that was not an option before.

maigret 4y ago

Some cameras can be physically shut with a lid. It’s a feature especially found at German providers like Bosh.