he definition of security is formulated differently in every era. From the 17th to the 19th century security and privacy walked hand in hand. What is more, some interpretations describe security as a prerequisite of freedom which is closely related to privacy. Locke’s (Székely, Somodi & Szabó, 2017) opinion is that the basic function of security is to guarantee of freedom. In the middle of the 19th century, Jeremy Bentham (Székely, Somodi & Szabó, 2017) argued that freedom is not an individual value because security means predictability and this is an essential element for free action which in this case is equal to the private sphere. According to the surPRISE project (2014) security is “the condition of being protected from or not exposed to danger; a feeling of safety or freedom from or absence of danger.” This definition shows that people’s sense of security is at least as important, if not more, than security itself.

To conclude the term of security, it has many definitions and interpretations and it obviously means different things to everyone but there is a large enough consensus there, that is: it is needed, it is the responsibility of the authorized management to ensure it and it is in the commonweal’s interest.

There are many definitions for surveillance, because there are many kinds of observations. During the surPRISE project the researchers used a definition which correctly summarises what surveillance mean: ‘monitoring people in order to regulate or govern their behaviour’(2014). Surveillance and surveillance society concepts are used as synonyms by many authors.

Lyon (), provides an accurate summary of the existence and function of the surveillance society. He argues that electronic observation is an essential activity of all the industrial societies. However, people should not be frightened or be paranoid, rather certain restrictions should be imposed. (p. 161)