© Shutterstock

Origins of CCTV -

Russian physicist Leon Theremin (1896–1993) is credited with inventing an early mechanical version of CCTV, in 1927.

© Getty Images

The theremin -

He was in fact working on the theremin, one of the first electronic musical instruments that detected hand movements and translated them into sound and color waves.

© Getty Images

First operational version of CCTV -

Though the technology was crude, Theremin's invention was adapted as a camera and shortwave radio and, with Stalin's blessing, installed in the courtyard of the Moscow Kremlin to monitor approaching visitors. 

© Getty Images

Focusing on the future -

German electrical engineer Walter Bruch (1908–1990) is regarded as the true pioneer of CCTV. In the 1930s he developed the iconoscope, the first practical video camera tube used in early television cameras.

© Public Domain

First military application -

Bruch's CCTV system debuted in 1942 and was later used by the German military to monitor V-2 rocket launches at Peenemünde during the Second World War.

© Getty Images

German television pioneer -

Bruch went on to become an influential figure in German television: he invented the PAL color television system at Telefunken in the early 1960s.

© Getty Images

No recording facility -

The major drawback with both Theremin and Bruch's inventions was that neither system was able to record information, thereby requiring someone to monitor the live feed.

© Getty Images

Use as a surveillance system -

An early application of CCTV was made during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, the first ever to be televised. British officials reportedly used surveillance systems over and above BBC television cameras to monitor the event.

© Getty Images

CCTV installed throughout the UK -

CCTV proper, however, only reached British shores in the 1960s, when they were primarily used for security and surveillance in public areas, transportation hubs, and commercial establishments.

© Getty Images

Watching over Trafalgar Square -

The first large-scale use of CCTV in Great Britain occurred in Trafalgar Square in London, a favorite gathering point for protests and demonstrations.

© Getty Images

CCTV underground -

London Transport and the metro system, London Underground, installed surveillance systems throughout their networks.

© Getty Images

First home security system invented -

Meanwhile in the United States, an African-American nurse named Marie Van Brittan Brown and her husband Albert, an electronics technician, invented an audio-visual home security system as a response to the high crime rate in their Jamaica, Queens, neighborhood. Their patent, granted in 1969, served as a template for future home security systems.

© Getty Images

First CCTV recordings -

The advent of VCR technology in the early 1970s enabled the recording of surveillance footage, making it easier to record and erase information. As a result, use of video surveillance became more commonplace.

© Getty Images

Advent of surveillance video -

On April 15, 1974, Patty Hearst was famously caught on surveillance video while helping to rob the Sunset District branch of the Hibernia Bank in San Francisco. The image was wired around the world, further promoting the use of CCTV. 

© Getty Images

All-seeing market -

Advancements in technology throughout the 1980s saw the use of CCTV systems expand significantly, marketed to banks, stores, and other businesses vulnerable to theft.

© Getty Images

Arrival of digital multiplexing -

During the 1990s, digital multiplexing was developed. This allowed several cameras to record at the same time to enable time-lapse and motion recording, and for multiple cameras to be displayed on a single screen.

© Getty Images

New functions -

This new technology also allowed for new functions like zooming, enhancing imagery, and adding light to the footage. VCRs were replaced by DVRs (digital video recorders) with significantly greater storage capacity, speed, and image quality.

© Getty Images

Monitoring money movements -

Already a feature of bank interiors, cameras appeared on ATMs, installed to record the person using the machine, but not their keypad activity.

© Shutterstock

Increased use of CCTV -

The September 11 attacks led to a dramatic increase in the use of CCTV across the United States and elsewhere. Governments around the world justified public surveillance as a necessity for the safety of everyone.

© Getty Images

Facial recognition technology -

As the new millennium progressed, so did facial recognition technology. This effectively took a CCTV system from a recorder to a robot.

© Getty Images

Internet and CCTV -

The Internet changed the way surveillance footage could be accessed, as recordings could now be viewed on a global stage. Live streams and wireless access became more prevalent methods of displaying CCTV footage.

© Shutterstock

Gathering intelligence -

On the ground, law enforcement agencies began using CCTV cameras and infra-red vehicle number plate recognition cameras to check for insurance, road license validity and, increasingly, intelligence gathering.

© Getty Images

Privacy concerns -

The use of body worn video cameras became standard across most police forces. But while CCTV footage can provide evidence of a crime having been committed, critics began to voice concerns about the loss of privacy rights and personal liberties. Surveillance and how it's used was becoming a greater political issue for the public.

© Getty Images

Mass surveillance -

According to data gathered in 2023 by Precise Security, globally more than one billion CCTV cameras have been installed, with China having around 200 million surveillance systems operating across the country. The US and Germany have around 50 million and around 5.2 million surveillance systems installed, respectively.

© Shutterstock

Smile, please! -

Meanwhile, the British Security Industry Authority (BSIA) reported that there are 7.5 million cameras in the United Kingdom, which is around one camera for every 11 people.

© Getty Images

AI applications -

Fueling this growth is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which is revolutionizing surveillance capabilities. For example, AI enables cameras to identify and flag unexpected hazards such as debris, wildlife, or unauthorized foot traffic, enhancing safety for motorists.

© Shutterstock

CCTV as a method of repression -

However, observers also note that governments can utilize CCTV for political means, such as repressing the populace. For example, China, which has the largest surveillance system in the world, is often accused of using the technology to stifle dissent. Furthermore, China has no enforceable protections for privacy rights against state surveillance, according to Human Rights Watch.

© Getty Images

Global business -

According to Precedence Research, the global CCTV camera market size was valued at US$43.69 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach around $207.13 billion by 2033.

© Getty Images

Enhanced security solutions -

The CCTV camera market is mostly driven by the growing need for critical infrastructure security solutions. But there are strict rules in place governing the use of CCTV, drawn up to protect privacy and ensure that CCTV isn't used for anything other than its stated purpose.

© Getty Images

"Big Brother" -

That hasn't stopped many critics of mass surveillance from declaring that much of the world is now being watched over by "Big Brother," the sinister character and symbol in George Orwell's dystopian 1949 novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four.'

Sources: (Clearway) (Impulse CCTV) (Fortune Business Insights) (BSIA) (Human Rights Watch) 

See also: The most influential political books ever published

© Getty Images