Perception of Risks and Usefulness of Smart Video Surveillance Systems

The number of video cameras in public places increases due to different reasons such as detecting dangers (e.g., thefts, robberies, terrorist attacks) and security breaches in crowds. The application of video surveillance systems is sometimes evaluated ambivalently; therefore, the presented study focuses on factors influencing the acceptance of a privacy-friendly, smart video surveillance system. Overall, 216 persons aged between 18 and 81 years participated in an online survey. In terms of the perceived usefulness, there are significant interactions of public spaces × gender and public spaces × time of day. In addition, the assessment of different privacy levels of a video surveillance system differ significantly in terms of perceived risk. Interestingly, men rate the risk concerning their own privacy significantly higher than women do. Participants rate the presented system as fairly useful and slightly risky for their own privacy. The findings of the presented exploratory study provide insight into how people perceive smart video surveillance. These findings have the potential to support the conditions of the use of smart video surveillance systems and to address the possibly affected individuals.