Abstract
The facial acknowledgement applications that are an essential part of today’s society play an influential role in mass surveillance, which has many consequences, from public confidentiality to freedom and social control. This paper will emphasize the multifaceted notion of mass surveillance by studying its technological, legal, and social angles. Power, though, is more than just fixed in surveillance technology. Human actors are also vital in present-day surveillance’s power and control process. This paper will focus on the idea that power results from the interaction of the targets, agents, and the theories of Foucault, Ravven and Gladwell.
In today’s interconnected world, the extensive use of surveillance technologies is the force behind the interactions between privacy, liberty, and social control factors. The essay delves into investigating social situations and identifies the targets and agents of power.
The scope of mass surveillance reaches beyond the single elements and affects many different essential aspects of democracy, autonomy, and human rights. This paper attempts to deal with the complicated interworking and the issues involved in mass surveillance’s wide use, such as its technological capabilities, legal aspects, and socio-cultural effects. Using the theoretical theories of Foucault, Naomi Ravven and Malcolm Gladwell in our study, we can clarify the power dynamics at the base and evaluate the consequences for the individual agency and social norms.
The targets in this situation are citizens’ civil liberties and privacy advocates, governments, intelligence agencies, and Tech companies. For citizens, people whose movements, conversations and actions are being monitored. Civil liberties and privacy advocates are organizations and individuals committed to safeguarding individual rights and freedom, such as governments and intelligence agencies. Agencies and organizations are tasked with carrying out and managing surveillance programs. Tech companies that are surveillance systems developers and platforms.
The agents of power in this social situation are the Government and intelligence agencies: they have the power and assets to manage surveillance happenings, frequently justified under the semblance of national security. Tech companies create and produce the tech tools of surveillance platforms where the data resides or is processed. Social norms and cultural beliefs: Grade attitudes towards privacy and security define the population’s attitude to supervision. Legal frameworks: The law and regulations decide the level of surveillance allowed and the responsibility mechanism in place.
Foucault’s theory of power proposes a sophisticated and complex understanding of how power maneuvers in society. Foucault defines the power of discipline through works like “Discipline and Punish” and “The History of Sexuality”. According to Foucault, discipline means regulating, controlling, and normalizing individuals in society through mechanisms and techniques (Lynch 13-26). One of Foucault’s essential understandings is that power runs through systems of surveillance and normalization rather than through evident pressure. However, power is not localized to specific individuals or institutions but is distributed throughout society.
Foucault’s theory of power
Foucault’s concept of “disciplinary power” can be applied as a tool to understand how surveillance works as a mechanism of social control (Andrejevic 7-13). Surveillance technologies can lead to a panoptic-based environment where individuals can modify their behaviour based on the fear of being watched even when they are not under continuous surveillance. With this theory, surveillance can be studied regarding how it affects social norms, behaviour, and power relations. It also helps us understand how people behave and exert power upon others.
Ravven’s theory of resistance
According to Ravven’s theory, resistance becomes the critical element of this theory, and only by challenging the oppressive regimes can power be taken back (Kovach 15). Mass surveillance can be understood through this theory by assessing how individuals and associations resist surveillance practices through anti-defiant acts, encryption technologies, legal challenges and social advocacy. Understanding resistance dynamics is critical to evaluating the surveillance techniques employed and designing policies promoting human rights and freedoms.
Gladwell’s theory of tipping points
Gladwell believes social change may be more hasty after reaching the “tipping point” or a critical mass. This theory can be applied to the mass surveillance issue to recognize the factors that can change public opinion or the policy shift concerning surveillance practices (Gladwell). This theory is based on working out the past tipping points of surveillance. It helps predict the future and from tactics of advocacy and reform. This theory suggests that small changes or actions can lead to essential shifts in behaviours or outcomes, often eliciting more considerable societal changes.
They are designing a project and analyzing power dynamics in the setting using the theories of Foucault Ravven and Gladwell. The first step to follow in the methodology is historical analysis. Study the development of surveillance technologies and their influence on society and the state. The second is Case studies. Call for evidence of the mass surveillance programs to illustrate their implementation impacts and resistance. However, surveys and interviews are also steps to follow. Conduct surveys and interviews among various stakeholders (citizens, activists, policymakers, technologists) to know their opinions, experiences, and perspectives towards surveillance—lastly, discourse analysis. Analyze the media coverage of public debates and legal proceedings around surveillance to identify the dominant narratives, discourses, and points of disagreement.
Applying these theories and methodologies, the project focuses on providing an inclusive analysis of the power dynamics in mass surveillance and informing policies for resistance advocacy and policy modification to protect individual rights and freedoms in the digital age.
In conclusion, our investigation of mass surveillance, drawing from the theories of Foucault, Ravven, and Gladwell, has clearly shown power dynamics in modern society to be all-encompassing and ever-evolving. When we appreciate the way power works and the possibilities that resistance and change bring, we can join efforts to build a more just, equitable, democratic society in which human rights and freedoms are cherished and enjoyed.
Works Cited
Gladwell, Malcolm. The tipping point: How little things can make a big difference. Little, Brown, 2006.
Lynch, Richard A. “Foucault’s theory of power.” Michel Foucault. Routledge, 2014. 13–26.
Kovach, Mary. “Leader influence: A research review of French & Raven’s (1959) power dynamics.” The Journal of Values-Based Leadership 13.2 (2020): 15.
Andrejevic, Mark. “Automating surveillance.” Surveillance & Society 17.1/2 (2019): 7–13.
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