Many questions are raised by the use of surveillance technologies in Tunisia by Ben Ali’s Police State. More particularly, the Tunisian case suggests the emergence of a new control system which associates cyber-police and engineering technicians, Tunisian State and Western high-tech companies. Starting with the Tunisian case, this article aims to analyze this control and surveillance system, and to question the meaning and the role of the idea of “technology neutrality” in its operating.
Topic:
Science and Technology, Authoritarianism, Surveillance, and Neutrality
In 1976, Senator Edward Kennedy first introduced the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to rein in government scrutiny of Americans. That law made America’s telecommunications companies the gatekeepers of the public’s information. But back then, “Ma Bell” was still around — AT&T wasn’t broken up until 1982 — and mobile phones were a distant dream. Now, nearly 40 years and a tech revolution later, President Obama faced similar questions on how to protect the American people’s privacy.
Topic:
Security, Defense Policy, Science and Technology, Surveillance, and Civil Liberties