TECBlogging

Unleash Your Inner Cyborg and Sousveillance!

Sousveillance, By Steve Mann



Sousveillance is the opposite of surveillance and means watchful vigilance from underneath or undersight. In other words, filming as opposed to being filmed. Putting the surveillance back in the hands of the people.

Mann starts off this paper by defining the true causes of terror. He believes that terrorism arises from the larger operating system that initiates the surveillance. Not from the individual who gets out of line. These closed looped operating systems such as powerful governments have no checks and balances unlike the lower end operations that create feedback. And what we need to do is look at these systems that “operate without scrutiny” (Mann). What Mann is saying here is not too radical. We need to question the government. Hey that's a great idea!

Mann then points out that citizens' rights to record the activity of these large and powerful operating systems are being taken away. This can be seen on the micro level in department stores or corporate spaces, where there are tons of planted cameras hidden from plain view. In these places the customer or citizen is prohibited to take pictures or film. This basically makes these spaces or systems totalitarian regimes that rely on secrecy and high surveillance. Liberal democracy relies on the opposite. High surveillance equals high terror.

That is where Mann offers sousveillance as a solution. He argues that it creates a feedback for these closed off operations. A feedback that is necessary to restore order, balance, and freedom. Those large operations that encourage sousveillance will actually benefit from decreased acts of violence and terror. Sousveillance makes everyone happy! He argues that while this may increase surveillance, it actually destroys the monopoly on surveillance, democratizing surveillance. My question is how do you put out fire? By fighting fire with fire? NOT. I think there has to be a better way.

I start to doubt Mann's argument even more when he begins to describe the ways in which we should carry out sousveillance. “I'm not suggesting that the cameras be mounted on the floor...I am suggesting that the cameras be mounted on people in low places.” (Mann). He kinda beats you over the head with his explanation of not “literally” but “figuratively.” Yeah, we get it, not on the floor, on low people.

Like this fashionable EXISTech personable security necklace:




He also describes a “simple experiment” in which you go into a regime and ask them “Hey Regime, why ya got all those gosh darn surveillance cameras around?” They will respond with “Only criminals ask those questions!” Then you should take a picture of this official and “observe reaction.” Oh yeah and don't forget to bring your friends along to prevent an “eruption of violence.” This guy is kind of nuts.

There is also World Sousveillance Day: Operation Python aka December 24 (the biggest shopping day of the year) where you have to take a picture (with your camera phone) of all the cashiers you encounter. This will help to prevent your cashier from running your credit card twice. Seriously do it. Biggest shopping day of the year, don't get charged twice.

You know she was totally going to rip you off on that latte if you didn't take a picture of her:



While I definitely think that we should be aware of the totalitarian oppression in closed loop operations, I don't necessarily think that giving them a taste of their own medicine is the answer. Surveillance destroys trust. We need to create systems of feedback and balance that encourage trust.

posted by Brittany @ 11:53 AM