The surveillance society (continued)

Electronic surveillance and collection of personal data threaten to undermine democracy, a UK Lords committee has said.
The proliferation of CCTV cameras and the growth of the DNA database were two examples of threats to privacy, the committee in Britain's upper chamber said. Committee chairman Lord Goodlad said the rise in surveillance risked undermining privacy and individual freedom which are vital for democracy.

The government said CCTV and DNA were "essential crime fighting tools" but campaign group Liberty said abuses of power mean "even the innocent have a lot to fear".
Warning over 'surveillance state'

I understand the need to fight those who would seek to commit atrocities in this country on the scale of 7/7 or worse. However I also worry that the same fight against terrorism and crime could also be used as an excuse by our government for excessive surveillance.
While we have the highest rate per capita in the entire world for CCTV cameras (about 4.2million - one for every 14 people) and the largest DNA Database in the world (more than 4million samples), do we have the safest streets in the world?

But surely, one might think - if you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about...

Explain that to artist Reuben Powell, who was recently arrested and imprisoned for photographing an old government building. Powell was held for five hours in a cell after police searched him under the Anti-Terrorism Act and seized the lock-blade knife he uses to sharpen his pencils. He was also handcuffed and his genetic material stored permanently on the DNA database.

Then there's Conservative MP Andrew Pelling who was stopped and searched by police under section 44 of the Terrorism Act, on suspicion of being a terrorist after taking photographs of a cycle path on December 30.

Back in 2007, I commented on our seeming descent towards a "surveillance society":

In our rush to protect our democracy and way of life, laws that are supposed to defend us could instead end up destroying what we are trying to protect.

Nothing's changed (sadly)...