In June 2013, Edward Snowden revealed classified NSA documents and showed the world the capacity of the global surveillance programs. New Media has allowed surveillance to expand significantly and we are now witnessing the rise of a surveillance society.
The Panopticon
Jeremy Bentham had imagined a machine known as the Panopticon. This machine would watch inmates constantly, and they wouldn’t be able to hide. The prisoners would then internalize this state and regulate their own behavior without need of much external enforcing.
New media has allowed the Panopticon concept to grow to include all of society. We are surrounded by cameras and microphones that are recording data accessible to governments and corporations.
Translateral Surveillance
In our culture of translateral surveillance, we are learning to surveil each other. Every person we meet has the ability to record our actions and post them online for the world to see. They can also report our posts and messages to authorities or post them online. This has resulted in a culture of fear and conformity.
Recentralization of Information
We must take into account the recentralization of information, as described by Mark Andrejevic in his book ‘iSpy’. Our data is increasingly owned by fewer companies, who use it for their own use. This data remains in their hand, and we don’t know what they may do with it in the future. These corporations have generally made this data freely available to national security agencies, compromising activism. In 2017, it was leaked that Black Lives Matter activists ‘ data was given over to the FBI and Homeland Security.
Giving Up Privacy For Security
New Media has also opened doors for cyberterrorism and fraud. This has damaged societal trust and made us more likely to relinquish privacy for security. The Patriot Act in the United States was an early example of such a policy. In Canada, laws like the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 and Bill C-13 of 2014 are examples of such policies.
Conclusion
The Surveillance Society thrives on the constant collection of data accessible to corporations and governments which leads to conforming citizens afraid to step out of line. As citizens, we must advocate laws and practices that prioritize our privacy as the current alternative is leading to dangerous outcomes.
Sheikh Abdullah Ayaz Mullanee is a scholar from the Greater Toronto Area. He is passionately involved in several initiatives around Toronto and is regularly invited to speak at youth and community based events. Shaykh Abdullah currently teaches at Khairul Ummah Academy and Mathabah Institute while conducting online classes for Lubab Academy’s Arabic Language program. He is also the editor in chief for ‘Bridging The Gap’, the official magazine for the Canadian Council of Muslim Theologians.