Panopticism and New Surveillance

Curtis Laraque — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 22:54:17 +0000

The theory of panopticism as presented by Michel Foucault describes a power system in which surveillance rules the actions of the surveyed, without the need of explicit power moves or presence. It is the fear of being monitored at all times, rather than explicit monitoring such as with cameras with which one can see exactly what the scope of the monitoring tool is, that controls ones actions. Though this theory comes out of a physical structure from centuries ago, a prison, its elements are being seen to become more and more prevalent in the technology of new media.
One of the most common applications of this theory to new media can be seen in surveillance of general Internet use. The collection of information about users based of their usage of the medium an almost essential part of the Internet today. Such information has the potential to be used by corporations, Internet service providers, and others for various purposes. For many, the extent to which information can be gathered, who has access to what information, and how it can be used, is very unclear. Knowledge of the fact that such surveillance exists, combined with the lack of clarity surrounding it, creates a panoptic environment within the Internet: users are careful to monitor their own actions and activities for fear that someone else is monitoring them as well.
Even as users make an effort to monitor themselves, though, information is still being collected. Things that may seem minute and unimportant to many hold value for those watching and collecting information, and so another level of control is opened: the information collected can be used to maintain or manufacture the status quo, in ways that are very unapparent to the average person. The medium often described as democratic, the Internet, clearly has the power to remove levels of agency from its users. And it is through the very act of using the medium that such removal of agency is perpetuated. So how does one regain power in a society that is becoming more and more dependent on the use of this medium?
Awareness is probably one of the most important factors. In becoming more and more aware of the medium that one is making use of, one will become more aware of the restrictions that are inherent in the use of the medium, and will have the ability to formulate methods to circumvent those restrictions. Furthermore, one can formulate methods to take advantage of such surveillance to, in turn, survey those that are in positions of power and responsible for major surveillance, and create accountability on all levels.

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