Abstract
In the digital world, surveillance has become easier because of computer capabilities that can sort large amounts of public open data quickly. I am particularly interested in how issues of liberty bristle up against issues of safety and create friction as we look at the implications of projects designed to track, or map, behaviors. Specifically, I am interested in projects that track behavior deemed hateful or intimidating to minority groups. Because hateful acts often go unpunished unless they violate a law, i.e. vandalism, physical violence, property damage, or trespassing onto private property, to name a few, some groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), ThinkProgress, CITYLAB and ProPublica have taken it upon themselves to document these acts over varying amounts of time. The documentation of past events acts as a form of “tactical cartography” that seeks to cause introspection, conversation, and to alter future social behavior. Their mapping takes several forms, which will be explored briefly before examining how another project called The Swastika Monitor looks at the circulation of the swastika as an iconic symbol of hate. Through looking at The Swastika Monitor, I propose that these forms of mapping as a form of sousveillance fill a gap in the legal system, which neglects to address public spaces as spaces that could be conceived of as being hostile and therefore unsafe for minority groups.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Sousveillance, Open Data, Tactical Cartography
