100,000 cameras keep an eye on UAE residents 24 hours a day

Dubai: There are probably over 100,000 IP-based cameras watching you in the UAE, according to Gilles Ortega, the regional manager of Axis Communications. IP-based means the cameras are plugged into a computer network which often runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Ortega estimates that 95 to 99 per cent of those cameras are in public areas. Axis is a global manufacture of IP-based cameras. While some may worry about the privacy issues surrounding that kind of surveillance, Ortega said that companies aren't focused on watching you specifically. "The consultants ... who are hired by the developers make sure the cameras aren't placed inappropriately," he said. "I also think that people are a lot more respectful of privacy here in this region." While security is the primary concern, a growing number of companies, especially... [read full story]