There are also rules and regulations about what organisations and local/national govt can do with the footage and what they cannot, as well as how long the footage can be kept and who it can be passed on to.
https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/cctv/
Camera surveillance is also a very powerful tool to protect people's rights and freedoms... such as their right to be protected against crime... if I walk down a dark street at night and I get attacked I would WANT that captured on camera.. It's often used to trace the last steps of a missing person and that can lead to them being found or a capturer being identified.. It's used at work where I work nights on my own.. if someone nasty comes along, or someone does something they shouldn't do I'd definitely want that captured on camera to the person can be prosecuted.
It would be a mistake though to think that in the UK cameras are everywhere or that people somehow store years and years of data.. they don't and can't.. and cameras tend only to be in public places or trouble spots..
