ATC tapes are a free-for-all but flight deck recorders are a personal privacy issue?
Absolutely! ATC tapes are a record of communication between ATC and outside agencies. Cockpit Voice Recorders similarly. CVR transcripts, indeed even CVR recordings end up in the public domain. What makes ATC recordings so special you have to resort to this absurd Inspector Clouseau secrecy? If the Hudson River recordings are freely released under 'Freedom of Information', then I suggest we give up this daft attempt at cloaking everything official in the UK- it just won't wash in the internet age.
You picked my quote about putting cameras on flight decks. I have seen the effect of cameras filming there- use...er...lesss! Total waste of time and money. You see very, very little. Yet they are a big invasion of privacy (as well as a handy place to hang my jacket). So why not put cameras on ATC controllers as well then if pilots are supposed to have them? Shots of controllers talking to Speedbird 287 whilst scratching their arses and blowing their noses and looking at it will go down well with the public!