Security and surveillance cameras have become ubiquitous. But the extent to which our comings and goings are captured on camera may surprise you.

A study last year from Safety.com found that the average American is caught on camera 238 times a week. Some of the places where we are being observed include:

• Driving is the time you’re most likely to be survielled — 160 times a week on average. The biggest reason for this is the increase of cameras at major intersections.
• Employees are on camera about 8 times a day or 40 times per week. This number is much higher if you work in retail or in a high security building.
• Speaking of retail — on average we’re on camera 24 times a week while shopping.
• Neighborhood doorbell and security cameras capture us 14 times a week, or twice a day.

The study also projected that by the end of this year a BILLION live security cameras worldwide with 100 million to 180 million in the U.S.

Another study from an IT firm pulled data about which country’s citizens are the most surveilled. China came in first, but the U.S. was second. Here’s what the study authors had to say about that:

Perhaps more surprisingly is who comes in second place. The leader of the free world, The United States of America, has an average of two cameras for every 10 people in its major cities. With the country’s security on higher alert than ever after the recent attack on the Capitol building, surveillance has never been tracked more carefully as law enforcement look to limit the risk of domestic terrorism. Online surveillance is no different, despite tense debates over online manipulation, the government indulged in requests for over 800,000 of its citizens personal data in 2019 alone.