Privacy in the streets

The Surveillance Camera Players (SCP) is a small, informal group of people who are unconditionally opposed to the installation and use of video surveillance cameras in public places. The SCP was formed in New York City in November 1996 by two groups of friends/activists: one centered around Michael Carter, the author of the manifesto for “The Guerrilla Preprogramming of Video Surveillance Equipment” (1995), and the other around Bill Brown, fresh from the “Unabomber for President” campaign (1996). Both shared a strong interest in the theories and actions of the Situationist International, especially its use of “pranks” or detournement (diverting bland or oppressive materials for subversive purposes).