Unless physically protected, CCTV cameras have been found to be vulnerable against a variety of tactics.
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Some will deliberately destroy cameras.[18]
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Simply spraying certain substances over the lens will make the image too blurry to be read.
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Laser pointers will temporarily blind some cameras,[19] and higher powered lasers can damage them. However, since lasers are monochromatic, colour filters can reduce the effect of laser pointers.
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For wireless networks, broadcasting a signal at the same frequency of the CCTV network is reported to be able to jam it.
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Some will shoot at the cameras. Some outdoor cameras, such as those employed by the Chicago Police Department, have bullet-resistant housing.
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Some will find where the CCTV's feed is recorded (such as at a VCR) and take or destroy the recording device or media. This can be countered using decoy recording devices while the real recording device is in a less obvious place.
Special uses
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A very special use of CCTV is at Hessdalen AMS where by it is used for discovery of unidentified flying objects.
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In the earlier days of television, some programs, and selected live sporting events, were shown on closed-circuit television in theaters across the United States. From 1965-1970, the Indianapolis 500 was shown live on closed-circuit television in many movie theatres. The first few WrestleMania events were shown in such a way as well.
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In the UK, some places have installed talking CCTV, where the operator can talk to the people they monitor.