If you’ve been out and about in Orlando lately, then you may have noticed one of these large cameras lurking in public areas such as parking lots. The image below was taken in the lot of Party City on Colonial and isn’t the first in the city of its kind.

Oddly, it was said to be accompanied by a flashing blue light on a mast while looking like a giant solar panel. However, there is a simpler explanation. It turns out that these are cameras that are put in various places to record what goes on. In other words, they are a fairly modern initiative and they’re primarily used as a deterrent against crime.

These aren’t exclusive to Orlando either and have also been popping up lately all across the USA. Despite assumptions, these aren’t funded by the police either and are typically used by private companies, such as shopping malls and construction sites to prevent crime. Having said this, some police departments have used these cameras to check license plates, although it is understood that the Orlando police department does not use this technology.

Although some people are understandably skeptical about whether they actually work, the stats show that outdoor cameras can prevent crime by up to 50%. So, it’s not surprising that they’re used despite looking like an eyesore. On a final note, this also brings up a separate debate as to whether these are a necessary evil or whether it’s yet another example of surveillance society going too far in attacking the basic privacy of your average person.