Survey Finds Nearly 3 in 5 U.S. Respondents More Comfortable with Video Surveillance
A survey found growing comfort with video surveillance alongside continued demands for privacy and transparency.
- By Chelsey Arries
- Sep 01, 2026
Attitudes toward video surveillance may be shifting, with 58% of U.S. respondents reporting greater comfort with the technology compared with five years ago, according to a survey conducted for Axis Communications.
The survey asked respondents about their comfort with video surveillance in specific locations. Seventy-eight percent of respondents said they were “very comfortable” or “somewhat comfortable” with surveillance at transit hubs, followed by 77% at retail stores or centers and 73% at educational campuses. Workplaces received the lowest level of comfort among the locations surveyed, with 63% of respondents reporting they were very or somewhat comfortable with surveillance.
Privacy and transparency were also concerns. Sixty-four percent of respondents said knowing surveillance was used solely for safety purposes would increase their comfort, while 59% cited clear signage and 51% cited strong data privacy protections.
When asked about different applications of AI in surveillance, respondents reported the most comfort with real-time threat detection, including the identification of weapons, suspicious objects and behavior. Respondents also reported the highest level of comfort with high-stakes law enforcement applications, such as comparing facial scans against databases of known criminals.
Technical accuracy and data security were key concerns surrounding the use of AI in surveillance. Sixty-six percent of respondents expressed concern about false positives or inaccurate information, while another 66% cited concerns about the potential misuse or mishandling of information.
Generational differences were evident when participants were asked whether they had avoided a location because of video surveillance. The survey found that 32% of Gen Z respondents and 28% of Millennials had done so, compared with 12% of Gen X respondents and 6% of Baby Boomers.
About the Author
Chelsey Arries is assistant editor of Security Today, Campus Security Today, Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection Online.