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As the war progressed, American engineers developed similar systems to oversee their own military facilities. When the war ended, the American business community quickly recognized the value of CCTV systems to keep an eye on buildings and property. But because technology to record and store video images had not yet been developed, the footage had to be monitored constantly. The use of closed- circuit surveillance systems was limited to large companies that could afford to hire people to sit at monitors all day and watch the surveillance video in real time. It was not until the mid-1950s that video recording technology had advanced enough to allow surveillance footage to be recorded and stored for later viewing. This made video surveillance affordable and led to the addition of security cameras within banks and retail stores as extra protection against thieves.

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Contemporary Issues: Drones and Surveillance