By Joel Smart (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: January 30, 2013
Ever wondered who’s watching the footage captured by the thousands of security cameras that litter our urban landscapes? A growing number of masked vigilantes in Berlin, Germany, have stopped wondering; they’ve made it their responsibility to protect the public from these spying eyes. And they’ve made it into a game.
They call it Camover. It seems to be inspired by George Orwell’s 1984. It’s a game with a single purpose – to destroy as many Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) security cameras as possible. Specifically, the game is about reducing government surveillance of public areas, which includes commercially-owned CCTVs which can be accessed by the government at any time in the name of public safety.
While it may sound like organized vandalism, the game has a number of clear and uncomplicated rules. Players work in clans or groups, with usernames based off of historical figures. These groups receive points for destroying as many CCTV’s as possible, and must record themselves in the act. The videos they make are posted online and points awarded for both the quantity of cameras destroyed, as well as the quality of their work. In other words, if you break the cameras in cool ways, or in hard-to-get places, you’ll do better in the game.
Many have begun to wonder if video games were an influence in the movement, and The Guardian has hailed the game as “ … real-life Grand Theft Auto for those tired of being watched by the authorities …” Others have wondered if a point system is enough to really consider the camera-breaking a game. Either way, it’s drawn strong reactions from the media and the general public – some feel the activists have gone too far, while others are very supportive of their intention.
Do CCTVs protect the public, or put them at risk? The reality is that most people would rather not be on camera. While they can keep some people in line, most criminals disguise themselves before an attack anyway. Clearly, it isn’t a black-and-white issue.
As Boing Boing noted in their coverage of Camover, East Germany has history of abuse by the “ … punishing, spying gaze of the Stasi.” It’s a history that many believe is in danger of becoming a reality again. The surveillance was promoted as “protective” in those days as well. In modern day Germany, CCTV cameras are being increasingly integrated into the public, after last December’s bomb scare in Bonn.
In an interview with The Guardian, the anonymous creator of Camover referred to it as a “reality game” designed to encourage a different subset of people involved in the protests (which have previously involved petitions and marches). The game’s creator hopes that together they’ll have an influence. Hopefully, however, that influence won’t lead to surveillance cameras being placed more secretively, hidden from the general public.
Most striking about Camover is the unusual combination between activism, vandalism and gaming. While the activists have often turned to rebellious activities before, this is the first time organizers have sought to encourage fellow activists through game design. While it seems to have been an effective method, it probably hasn’t improved the “image” of gamers or activists. But it shows just how broad gaming can be – is this a sign of things to come? Can games really cross the line into the political realm? It seems that they can.
The Cascade would like to remind its reader(s) that breaking security cameras is highly, highly illegal.
