The concepts of surveillance and sousveillance: A critical analysis

Abstract

The concept of surveillance has recently been complemented by the concept of sousveillance. Neither term, however, has been rigorously defined, and it is particularly unclear how to understand and delimit sousveillance. This article sketches a generic definition of surveillance and proceeds to explore various ways in which we might define sousveillance, including power differentials, surreptitiousness, control, reciprocity, and moral valence. It argues that for each of these ways of defining it, sousveillance either fails to be distinct from surveillance or to provide a generally useful concept. As such, the article concludes that academics should avoid the neologism, and simply clarify what sense of surveillance is at stake when necessary.

Between monitoring and surveillance: Geographies of emerging drone technologies in contemporary conservation

“…The importance of power relations is also essential to the definition of ‘sousveillance’ within this literature – literally, surveillance from below – used to refer to the use of technology by relatively less powerful groups, for example taking videos of police brutality. Surveillance studies scholars have debated extensively the distinction between surveillance and sousveillance, although Thomsen (2019) concludes that there is no real means of distinguishing the two, preferring to speak instead of different forms of surveillance . What is critical here is not so much how data are produced, but how stereotypes become embedded and contested through the production and circulation of data.…”

Vigilar al vigilante: transparencia y rendición de cuentas sobre las tecnologías de vigilancia pública en México

“…La noción de "vigilar al vigilante" parte de la propuesta de sousveillance o "vigilancia desde abajo" de Mann, Nolan y Wellman (2003), quienes afirman que es fundamental vigilar a quienes poseen la autoridad y los medios para vigilar. En específico, el concepto de sousveillance se refiere como complementario a la vigilancia, e incluso se ha referido como un neologismo que no necesariamente debería usarse en el análisis académico (Thomsen, 2019). Sin embargo, es un concepto que se usa respecto a la vigilancia u observación de distintas actividades principalmente con dispositivos particulares, como los teléfonos inteligentes que cuentan con sus propias cámaras, con el fin de vigilar a quienes vigilan, como a la policía en manifestaciones sociales o en operativos, a las autoridades, entre otros.…”

Corona crisis chronicle: Fang Fang's Wuhan Diary (2020) as an act of sousveillance

“…While Thomsen (2019) has questioned the usefulness of the term sousveillance, Burke (2020) has developed "digital sousveillance" further as a methodological approach in the study of surveillance (p. 76). Burke defines digital sousveillance as "the co-optation of digital data and the use of computational methods and techniques (e.g., network analysis) to resituate technologies of control and surveillance of individuals to instead observe the observer-as a method for studying surveillance" (p. 77).…”