I get out of the car at a Hungarian highway rest stop. Before having completely taken my first step, I count 11 security cameras. What’s more, several cameras monitor each and every onramp here. And then there are those at the toll booths. You simply indicate your license plate at the border, and as you drive, a pattern recognition algorithm compares it constantly with a central database to see which drivers have paid and which haven’t.

So in this country, they’ve taken more pictures of me than I have of them! I find that pretty impressive.