What is public space, and how does it differ from private space?

A physical or virtual place freely accessible to everyone regardless of origin, status or affiliation, where the same publicly known rules apply to all. In private space, access and rules of conduct are set individually.

Examples are streets, squares, parks and stations, but also digital spaces such as social networks and online communities.

The German Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) describes public space as "a place where one is exposed to everyone's scrutinising gaze, the space with actors and spectators, where one is observer and observed at the same time."

This is why surveillance of public space is an ethical issue: everyone has to pass through it, so nobody can opt out of a camera installed there.

Go deeper:

• Wikipedia: Public space — definitions and the public/private distinction.