Watching You Watching Me: Lateral Surveillance in Singapore

Abstract

Historically, top-down surveillancesurveillance from the state and other organizationshas dominated social life, but not anymore. Technological advances drove down the price of surveillance equipment which aided in the proliferation of devices such as dashboard cameras. The widespread use of affordable surveillance equipment gave rise to the phenomenon of lateral surveillance, whereby laypersons can employ surveillance techniques to monitor individuals around them. The Singapore metropolis provides an excellent example with the ubiquitous use of dashboard cameras for cars today. In this research, I focus on Singaporean rideshare drivers who are simultaneously subjected to traditional forms of top-down surveillance from rideshare corporations, as well as lateral surveillance from the dashboard cameras of other road users. Contrary to the belief that individuals are always sceptical of surveillance, the respondents on average reported a positive perception of both top-down and lateral surveillance. Using Ulrich Beck's concept of risk society, I posit that an individual's appraisal of a surveillance system is directly related to the amount of risk the surveillance system mitigates for him or her.

Remote control: Horizontal surveillance and the gendering of carceral punishment

“…Horizontal surveillance occurs when individuals monitor the behavior or attitudes of peers or community members, often for purposes of social control (Lee, 2018). This transpires in a variety of social contexts.…”

“…Within organizations, horizontal surveillance is understood as "peer-to-peer scrutiny that subordinates perform against each other to ensure that behavioral norms are observed" (Sewell, 2012: 304). Managers rely on this lateral supervision to maintain discipline and ensure efficiency within capitalist systems (Lee, 2018;Sewell, 1998). In addition to watching over workers directly, they facilitate internal control by encouraging coworkers to surveil one another from below (Barker and Cheney, 1994;Garrahan and Stewart, 1992).…”