If you read a headline that the national government of a large asian economy was deploying a million cameras you would go to statist surveillence. If you read a more nuanced headline that in a large asian economy, a million privately owned cameras have been deployed, as locals chose to arm up against bad behaviour, perceived threats or nosiness, you might feel different.

I am told the latter is actually as common as the former, in the aforesaid large asian economy. The state cameras are on poles and buildings, and are at similar densities to the UK in that regard (within order of magnitude) Whereas the cheap, hackable (crackably hackable, risably simply crackably hackable) IoT IP enabled cameras are being bought and sold for $50 or less, and installed freehand by concerned locals who wonder why their pet cat keeps disappearing.

It is now routine for police to ask citizens for dashcam and other static camera footage when investigating crime. The locals with cameras are often very happy to comply.

Is this boil the frog slowly?