Sorry, I should have been clearer, I understand that the NG article was about CCTV use in London paired with other systems developed for monitoring and crime tracking/prevention. But I was applying my post to America, this was probably the wrong thread to do so, since this was about London in particular. I just thought that the overall theme was still applicable.
In terms of the expectation of privacy in public, I get that, however if every singular thing you do is recorded and documented even if it is in public like its some early rough draft of 1984. Does that mean we're actually free? While private companies use your private information and shopping habits, daily practices, and search history to buy and sell as a commodity, the government plays no small part in documenting private practices through your web browsing and communication. Take a crap in one hand and wish in another when it comes to saying which one is the "worst" offender.
I'll leave it at that so that the thread doesn't derail from the original subject matter further.