Abstract
How is the data we key into our computers – Google searches, social media posts, online purchases – used? Who has access to it? And what do they do with it. The term surveillance denotes monitoring in order to gather information on the behaviours and activities of particular individuals or groups. Until the late-twentieth century most surveillance activities were carried out by the state - intelligence agencies, the police, tax authorities and other government bodies - to assess whether an individual was engaged in criminal activities or liaising with an enemy government. But in today’s digitally connected world surveillance is no longer the exclusive domain of those with power and advanced technology. Members of the public now regularly record photographic and audio-visual images and make them available to online audiences. While governments remain important, other actors also gather and analyse digital data. They include Internet giants (such as Facebook), private organisations (such as Cambridge Analytica) and citizen activists (such as Bellingcat). This paper asks, who is watching you now, and should you be concerned?
Presenters
David HumphreysProfessor, Geography, The Open University, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Vectors of Society and Culture
KEYWORDS
Behavioural Change, Digital Geography, Influence, Knowledge, Surveillance, Power
