The book defines surveillance as “any form of systematic attention to whether rules are obeyed, to who obeys and who does not, and how those who deviate can be located and sanctioned.” Surveillance has appeared in some form or another for centuries. In the era before digital technology, surveillance appeared in the form of military or police services. However, as the need for surveillance has increased in the modern era, new technology has been developed allowing people to track others’ activity at all times. This includes security cameras and forms of hacking technology allowing people to see through the cameras of smart devices. While this technology has certainly been useful in preventing and solving crimes, it also comes with many negatives. People have used surveillance technology to film people in unwanted situations. Historically in America, minority groups have been disproportionately targeted by government surveillance. In China, the government has a massive surveillance system that is able to identify its citizens and a shocking amount of information about them. Surveillance can create distrust between people and the government. While it is important to note how much surveillance has done for us, it is also important to note the dangers of it.
