Privacy-protection technology for video surveillance

Terrorist threats and high rates of criminal behavior in urban areas guarantee that securitywill remain a major public concern. Video surveillance is becoming ubiquitous,with systems widely deployed at strategic locations in airports, banks, public transportation, and city centers. However, their widespread use raises the specter of an invasive ‘Big Brother’ society. In addition, video surveillance is subject both to abuse by unscrupulous operators with criminal or voyeuristic aims and to institutional abuse for discriminatory purposes. These legitimate concerns frequently slow the deployment of surveillance systems. Recent work has addressed privacy concerns. The system developed by Senior et al. renders a modified image, based on end-user access-control authorizations, with blanked-out areas and privacy-sensitive details removed. Similarly, Fidaleo et al. introduced a software architecture that utilizes privacy filters to prevent access to information or to transform incoming sensor data. Newton et al. address the threat associated with faceContinued on next page