Mass surveillance

In the 20th century, many artists, writers, and political commentators had interesting, imaginative, and specific visions of the future. One particular prediction that has wowed audiences for generations is the idea of a state of mass surveillance. In 1960, an artist by the name of Arthur Radebaugh drew a comic that was reflective of this theme. As it is aptly titled, the “All-Seeing Eye Police Department” depicts police officers at a futuristic precinct, as they monitor several screens…

How has Capitalism contributed to and shaped the rise of the surveillance society? From the watchful eye of the omnipresent CCTV camera to the tracking ability of smartphones, surveillance, in the modern era, is an inescapable aspect of life. Arguably, if not for the dominant role Capitalism plays in the modern world, surveillance would not have been able to progress as rapidly or to have become so societally acceptable. In particular, two main characteristics of Capitalism, commodification and…

Feelings of anxiety, tension and overwhelming fear seized the nation in July of 2013. Countless confidential files had been leaked, exposing the NSA’s undercover surveillance programs to the public. The National Security Agency had monitored individuals’ browsing habits and gathered a bulk of their personal information. Former CIA employer and NSA contractor Edward Snowden, responsible for stealing these government files, is currently “wanted” for espionage. His efforts to inform America of the…

worship any god you wish. You also have the right to your privacy. However, in recent years that right has been under siege. A plentiful number of people fear that privacy in The United States is completely gone. Contrary to all of these claims, surveillance is necessary for the safety of the American people, and therefore should be respected rather than abhorred. Beginning in the early 20th century during the first World War, every international letter sent through the United States Postal…

that we are vulnerable to a situation of 1984, but we can overcome it by truly understanding surveillance and how the government controls that, and censorship. Although this book was written in 1949, 35 years later, your warning is still being withheld among students and teachers around the world. The overrule of totalitarianism was the most prevalent notion in the novel and I was intrigued by the mass change of government, In comparison to your plot, the government does indeed watch us. They…

North Korea and China’s society would be categorized as a dystopian society due to its current conditions. In North Korea, the government has mass surveillance, a worshiped figurehead and conformity. Alongside, China’s society is being manipulated by the media, people live under conformity, and are dehumanized. These situations are overpowering a healthy way of living. The way people see things and do things are now manipulated because of the way North Korea and China’s government lead. A…

One reason people believe this is because it is necessary in tracing criminals. On The Ethics of Surveillance, Tony Wu states, “if you haven’t done anything wrong, you have nothing to fear” (Wu, “The ethics (or not) of massive government surveillance"). Many different Governments tend to use this argument when people begin to question why they are constantly being watched. If there is nothing to hide, why worry? Another reason…

purpose of government surveillance is to protect the rights of citizens and terminate anyone or anything threatening these institutions. But the modern era is in revolt against this notion, believing that watchful eyes are only putting a hinder to individual freedom rather than protecting it; Their main purpose being to accuse the innocent and excommunicate non-conformists. When citizens are caught in a national crisis, they’ll probably be in favor of government surveillance, seeing it as a…

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, surveillance is the act of watching a person or a place, especially a person believed to be involved with criminal activity or a place where criminals gather (“untenable”). Surveillance, in the United States, is an extremely debated topic for many citizens. One person might contemplate what are the costs, and benefits; which was one of Katerina Hadjimatheou’s many points in her article on surveillance. Other citizens might ask themselves, how much of our…

11th the United States has taken a very different look at security vs privacy. This can be seen through changes not only in surveillance but also in plane security. Making people give up more privacy for increased security. As a society we are still debating on what we value more, security or privacy. Likewise in surveillance, a similar change has happened, more surveillance through all types of mediums are now taking place. This is done to thwart terrorist attacks against the country. The…