Surveillance and the Vanishing Individual: Power and Privacy in the Digital Age

Surveillance and the Vanishing Individual examines the impact of digital technologies and practices on privacy and personhood, arguing that the quest for prediction, certainty, and control undermines liberalism. It explores the rise of mass state surveillance, its legal restraints, and its deployment against activists, protestors, and dissidents. It also discusses the rise of "surveillance capitalism" and its political, social, and other impacts on social media around the world. The book includes a case study discussing the global use of surveillance during the Covid-19 pandemic and the implications of this development.

Format: Hardback
Length: 330 pages
Publication date: 07 January 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Surveillance and the Vanishing Individual is a thought-provoking investigation into the impact of the widespread adoption of digital technologies and practices, particularly the pervasive practice of mass surveillance, on privacy and personhood. The book argues that the relentless pursuit of prediction, certainty, and control inherent in the state's security apparatus fundamentally undermines human dignity and challenges the foundations of liberalism. The book begins by examining the historical significance of the digital age and its profound impact on society. Subsequent chapters delve into various cultural perspectives on privacy, explore the philosophical underpinnings of its centrality to human existence, and examine the legal framework that governs its protection. Lindau delves into the reasons behind the rise of mass state surveillance, the limited legal constraints that govern its use, and its deployment against activists, protestors, and dissidents, with a particular focus on its impact on individuals and privacy. The book then shifts its focus to the emergence of "surveillance capitalism" and its global implications, recognizing that this phenomenon is not exclusive to the United States. It examines the political, social, and other ramifications of social media on a global scale. The book includes a case study that explores the global use of surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic and its far-reaching consequences. Finally, the book concludes with reflections on the relationship between mass surveillance and liberalism. Surveillance and the Vanishing Individual is a must-read for anyone interested in the social, political, and economic consequences of digitization, as well as for students studying privacy, surveillance, and democracy. Lindau's expert analysis sheds light on the social, political, and economic consequences of digitization, particularly the appropriation and exploitation of vast amounts of personal information.

Weight: 642g
Dimension: 158 x 236 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538173503