George Orwell’s famous novel 1984 painted an eerie picture of the future, when every citizen’s actions would be monitored and recorded. And although his writings were works of science fiction, many of his views of a surveillance society are coming true.

In fact, we don’t have to look any further than the author’s former London flat to prove our point…

Orwell’s former residence in Canonbury Square is now smack in the middle of a security camera hotbed. Within 200 yards of the flat, 32 public and private closed-circuit television cameras are recording shoppers and passersby.

The eye of Big Brother is not unique to Orwell’s former neighborhood. Great Britain has transformed itself into a surveillance state, with more than 4.2 million closed-circuit television cameras currently in use, according to the Evening Standard. That makes one camera for every 14 people in the country.

Politics and Profits

Surveillance has become a volatile political issue across the world. Citing international threats of terrorism and other crimes, cities from Washington to London have been ramping up their respective surveillance capabilities for some time now.

Strong opinions exist on both sides of this issue. On the one hand, proponents of tighter security measures insist more cameras and data collection techniques are necessary to keep us safe. Opponents argue that new surveillance powers strip citizens of basic rights to privacy.

Despite the ongoing controversy, our political opinion remains irrelevant for investment purposes. Our goal is simple and straightforward: big gains. We give you potentially profitable advice — objectively — regardless of the circumstances.

Moving away from the politics at hand, we need to look for the best way to profit…

One company has garnered some much-deserved media attention for its work in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian crime-fighting officials claim they have seen incredible results after deploying the company’s security systems at the popular Copacabana beach.

Surveillance cameras and software contributed to a whopping 50% reduction in crime rates at the beach. This major drop in crime is important not only to law enforcement, but also to the economy. More tourists will flock to the beach as long as they feel safe.

And because the program has been so successful, Rio de Janeiro has expanded its business with this company. Talk about a major success story…

Unfortunately, I cannot give away the name of this company because of its size. You see, the company only trades a few shares a day on the pink sheets. With over 200,000 readers, Penny Sleuth could really pump up the share price, which is not at all the point of these articles. We take that very seriously.

That said, when we come across another one that’s a bit bigger, we’ll be sure to throw it your way. Until then…

Best,

Greg Guenthner
May 19, 2008

Greg Guenthner

Greg Guenthner heads up Agora Financial’s small-cap division and is the founder of one of the only independent OTC research advisories in the industry. A graduate of George Mason University, Guenthner joined Agora in 2005 after several years as a journalist. He is managing editor of Penny Stock Fortunes and Bulletin Board Elite.

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