In the book, a prominent sociologist of bureaucracy defined surveillance as “any form of systematic attention to whether rules are obeyed, to who obeys and who does not, and to how those who deviate can be located and sanctioned” (Rule 1973, 40). When we talk about surveillance, we usually think about the internet, data, and security. It is usually used to prevent certain behaviors. It is more related to power, government, and rules compared to gaze. The state usually monitors individuals and groups to make sure their safety. For example, many applications related to our private information and payment accounts like Bank of America need face recognition. Through face recognition, the state can get your information and track your activities from these applications. On the one hand, this provides convenience for people and enhanced security of people’s property and private information. On the other hand, the state can gain useful information from people to predict the future economic trend. Also, nowadays, people are trying to accept being surveillance as part of their life. There is a Korean variety show called Omniscient Intervention Perspective. The program will place many cameras in celebrities’ homes to record their life for 24 hours. This show is really popular, which shows that people have instinctive prying eyes about others’ information.
