People have had cameras aimed at things like garage doors and ocean views for years. But cameras that transmit images over the Internet have become significantly smaller and cheaper in recent years and easier to set up — a natural formula for widespread consumer adoption.

The number of homes in the United States with private security cameras increased by about five million last year, to 15 million homes, according to Parks Associates, a research company. A similar increase is expected this year, said Tom Kerber, Parks’s director of research.

People have found uses for the cameras in “monitoring their pets, the nanny or their kids, so much more besides security,” he said. New features like facial recognition should increase the popularity, he said.

From the article, "Webcams See All (Tortoise, Watch Your Back)" by Quentin Hardy.

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