Caught on camera: Technology can be a double-edged sword

Cameras have the power to humble the arrogant and hold the powerful accountable.

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We have seen many instances where abusive motorists and traffic enforcers, rude government clerks, or even VIPs bypassing rules have been caught red-handed. For the public, the lens can be a form of justice.

It can also be the source of witnessing situations we would never have the chance to see if CCTVs were not perched somewhere up there. Among these — an angry motorist pulling out his gun and shooting a person; an SUV “running amok" crashing onto vehicles, speeding through the highway and finally causing a gas station fire; random people walking in the midst of crawling traffic and divesting a truck of its valuable cargo.

In today’s hyperconnected world, it often feels like someone is always watching. From CCTV units on every street corner to camera phones in every hand, a person is constantly in the lens of a camera — sometimes knowingly, often not. In many cases, this has brought good results.