The Database State?

The Economist features an interesting article on the state of information gathering for surveillance purposes in our present day. The government is only sometimes responsible for collecting this sort of personal information; most of the time, private firms obtain the data and then relay it on to law-enforcement and other government agencies. Developing surveillance methods include closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, DNA analysis, biometrics, and radio frequency identification (RFID) microchips, among others. These methods range from the ubiquitous to the obscure, and they elicit very diverse responses from the public. On one hand, some champion the advances in technology because they provide increased security and facilitate interactions with businesses. On the other, critics argue over the effectiveness of many processes, such as data mining, for the purpose of profiling, and some individuals feel unease at the thought of “big brother” constantly monitoring them. This article effectively reminds us of the fine line that technology can tread between these two domains. The following report summary, issued by the Surveillance Studies Network for the UK Information Commissioner in 2006, is also useful in understanding the characteristics of emerging surveillance trends.