In one of the largest overhauls of surveillance infrastructure, India has barred the use of internet-enabled CCTV cameras sold by several Chinese firms from April 1. As part of the drive to enforce a new certification regime, Delhi is removing about 1.4 lakh cameras in phases. This comes not long after it was revealed that Israel’s accuracy in identifying Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s location before assassinating the Iranian leader was possible because of its control over Tehran’s dense CCTV network. Hyderabad, with about 79 cameras per 1,000 citizens, and Indore with 72 are among the most closely-watched cities in the world. If better security was the reason that trumped privacy concerns regarding overuse of CCTVs, we need a broader debate about the safest path forward.