How we cite our quotes: (Book.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Now imagine the human rights implications. Protestors on the streets of Egypt no longer have to hold up a camera, hoping to catch a human rights violation or a murder and then somehow get the footage out of the streets and online. Now it's as easy as gluing a camera to a wall." (1.8.45)
According to Eamon Bailey, Circle technologies like the SeeChange camera system will create social justice by exposing unjust activities and making it easier for the perpetrators to be held accountable. Sounds pretty good, right?
Quote #2
"The square is quiet now, but can you imagine if something happened? There would be instant accountability. Any soldier committing an act of violence would instantly be recorded for posterity. He could be tried for war crimes, you name it. And even if they clear the square of journalists, the cameras are still there. And no matter how many times they try to eliminate the cameras, because they're so small, they'll never know for sure where they are, who's placed them where and when. And the not-knowing will prevent abuses of power." (1.8.59)
Ever heard of Michel Foucault's idea of the panopticon? The panopticon is a prison design in which a central observation tower is surrounded by tiers of cells that surround it in a circle. Every cell is exposed to the central tower, and so the prison guards who sit in the tower are able to monitor every single prisoner easily and efficiently.
Foucault tells us that the thing that makes the panopticon particularly effective is the fact that there doesn't need to be anyone in the central tower at all in order for the system to work. As long as the prisoners believe that they're being watched, they'll behave accordingly. Sound anything like Eamon Bailey's thoughts on the SeeChange system?
Here's the kicker, folks: Foucault tells us that the panopticon isn't just an example of historical prison design; it's also an allegory for oppressive institutional control. Can Eamon Bailey's SeeChange system really be used to further the cause of justice when it shares so much in common with the tactics of totalitarianism?
Quote #3
"Okay, now this doesn't just apply to areas of upheaval. Imagine any city with this kind of coverage. Who would commit a crime knowing they might be watched any time, anywhere? My friends in the FBI feel this would cut crime rates down by 70, 80 percent in any city where we have real and meaningful saturation." (1.8.61)
For someone who claims to be invested in the human rights implications of his technologies, Eamon Bailey has pretty conservative ideas about crime prevention. Rather than attempting to curb crime by instilling an all-pervasive fear of being watched, what might a truly progressive person suggest instead?