NEWS
Big Brother: British citizens told to put CCTV cameras in their home
by Daniel Long on Aug 4, 2009

The British Government has been trialling an unusual program designed to keep tabs on problem families by installing CCTV cameras in 2000 homes, and plans for 20,000 more on the way.
According to the Daily Express and a Wired report, British families are being encouraged to install the spy cameras in their homes for their social benefit. In a worrying trend that has echoes of the Big Brother doctrine spelled out by George Orwell in 1984, the government is reportedly keen to expand the plan and put $AU800 million into rolling out the scheme into 20,000 more homes.

Reports say the cameras will be used to monitor families who aren't abiding by the rules put in place by the Children's Secretary. More than 2,000 families have already taken part in the trial - but more funding is now being considered to roll out the plan en-masse.

According to the report, the government will use the cameras to make sure the kids are doing their homework and going to bed on time. They will engage in 'behavioural contracts' with the parents and ensure certain duties are met.

Private security guards will also be used in addition to the CCTV cameras, to carry out random checks on the families taking part in the scheme.

In his ground breaking novel, 1984, George Orwell painted similar events of a totalitarian government watching and keeping tabs on private citizens under the guise of social reform and national security.

The central ideas of 're-education' and 'thought police' were all part of Orwell's frightening world. Are we about to take one step further in that direction? Let us know in the comments below.