Digitally mediated surveillance (DMS) is an increasingly prevalent, but still largely invisible, aspect of daily life. As we work, play and negotiate public and private spaces, on-line and off, we produce a growing stream of personal digital data of interest to unseen others. CCTV cameras hosted by private and public actors survey and record our movements in public space, as well as in the workplace. Corporate interests track our behaviour as we navigate both social and transactional cyberspaces, data mining our digital doubles and packaging users as commodities for sale to the highest bidder. Governments continue to collect personal information on-line with unclear guidelines for retention and use, while law enforcement increasingly use internet technology to monitor not only criminals but activists and political dissidents as well, with worrisome implications for democracy.

This international workshop brings together researchers, advocates, activists and artists working on the many aspects of cyber-surveillance, particularly as it pervades and mediates social life. This workshop will appeal to those interested in the surveillance aspects of topics such as the following, especially as they raise broader themes and issues that characterize the cyber-surveillance terrain more widely:

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Spaces of Alterity: Conceptualising Counter-Hegemonic Sites, Practices and Narratives

University of Nottingham, UK
28th-29th April 2011

Confirmed Plenary Speakers:
China Miéville and Dr. Alberto Toscano

This two day international conference for postgraduate and early career researchers explores interdisciplinary conceptions and representations of radical, counter-hegemonic space.
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Kiss Kiss Kill Kill: A Symposium on the Graphic Art and Forgotten Spy Films of Cold War Europe.

University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield. 18-19 September 2010

Coinciding with the Kiss Kiss Kill Kill Exhibition, this 2-day, parallel strand symposium aims to bring together international scholars, critics, collectors, graphic artists and cinephiles to explore the issues surrounding the European poster art and the European spy film between 1950-1985. The conference will explore the relationship between poster art, graphic design and espionage cinema during the Cold War, while providing an interdisciplinary forum for the development and appreciation of cult film, literature and the visual arts. The analysis of graphic art, poster design and rare film will consider ideas around, film archiving, marketing, European aesthetics, international audience reception, genre and state politics.

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Open University Business School, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

Sept 9 – 12 2010

Funded by ‘The New Transparency’ Major Collaborative Research Initiative and ‘Living in Surveillance Societies’ EU COST Action

The New Transparency (‘NewT’) and the Living in Surveillance Societies COST action (‘LiSS’) is jointly calling for paper proposals for a workshop on ‘The Political Economy of Surveillance’.

One of the key driving forces behind the Surveillance Society is the interests and strategies of governmental and corporate organizations and their members. Whether these organizations are concerned with the control of crime, the administration of health or welfare, selling goods or managing risk, the collection, analysis and application of personal data is at the core of many of their activities. Marketing techniques designed to profile desirable ‘lifetime’ customers are the same as those used to detect ‘undesirables’ through their financial transactions and travel movements. Technologies developed by the military to control populations in times of war, diffuse into civilian usage in times of peace. Responses to government calls for surveillance and security provision, are responded to by consultancies and technology companies, backed by international capital, at the very forefront of scientific innovation and development.

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The final ESRC Seminar on Surveillance will take place at the ICOSS Building, University of Sheffield, on Wednesday 24th of February.

Title: ‘Exclusion, Inclusion, Differentiation’

The speakers include:

• Andrew Balmer (University of Sheffield) ‘Inclusionary and Exclusionary Aspects of Lie Detection’
• Michael McCahill (University of Hull), ‘The social impact of ‘new surveillance’ technologies: An ethnographic study of the ‘surveilled’’.
• Claire Corbett (Brunell University) ‘Vehicile (and Driver) Surveillance: should we care?’
• Emmeline Taylor (Probation Service) ‘Surveillance in Schools’

More information

Surveillance: use, effectiveness and enforcing data protection with

Jonathan Bamford, Assistant Commissioner, Director of Data Protection Development Information Commissioner’s Office,

and Eleanor Laing MP, Shadow Minister for Justice

Morning, 17th February 2010, Central London

Live Agenda – Website – Book Online
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Surveillance Studies Network Global Surveillance Studies Student Award

The Surveillance Studies Network will sponsor up to 2 PhD students from the global south to attend the Surveillance Project’s bi-annual Surveillance Studies Summer Seminar (SSSS).

See here for details and regulations.

The 4th bi-annual Surveilance & Society Conference

City University London, UK
April 13 – 15, 2010

CALL FOR PAPERS

Surveillance has become a ubiquitous feature of living in the global north, with citizens routinely monitored by a range of sophisticatedtechnologies. Increasing levels of surveillance are typically justifiedand legitimated by threats of terrorism, fear of crime and disorder, asinfo/entertainment tools for the curious and through discoursesemphasizing public and private service improvement. In spite of this,little is known about the effect of surveillance on individuals,society, the democratic polity, nation states in the developed anddeveloping world, and the evolving nature of humanity.

More Information and all details

Call for Papers International Symposium

“Identification, identity and surveillance in Latin America”

University of the State of Mexico, Faculty of Politics and social studies, Toluca, Estado de México, México

March 16th, 17th and 18th 2010

Important Dates

Call for Papers Publication: July 30th 2009.
Abstract reception deadline: October 30th 2009.
Accepted lectures list publication: December 15th 2010.
Complete paper remittance deadline: February 15th 2010.
Complete program publication: February 28th 2010.

Second Symposium on surveillance in Latin America: March 16th, 17th y 18th 2010. University of the State of Mexico, Faculty of Politics and Social Studies. Toluca, México.

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Political Studies Association (PSA) 60th Anniversary Conference
Edinburgh, 29th March – 1st April 2010

Title: The Politics of Surveillance

Convenors: Dr Archie W Simpson (University of Stirling) and Dr Gavin J D Smith (City University London)

Panel summary: Surveillance has become an omnipresent and unremarkable force throughout the global north. The sharp growth of verification and behaviour monitoring technologies such as biometric passports, CCTV, the creation of international databases and changing legislation have given state and non-state agencies more surveillant powers and this in turn raises important political questions regarding the changing configuration of the state in high modernity. The purpose of this panel is to explore some of these issues and begin unpackaging the various political discourses and dogmas surrounding surveillance.

Call for papers: Proposals for papers exploring any political aspects of surveillance are welcomed. Papers on contemporary political debates, legislative and legalisitc frameworks, the dichotomy of state and civil society, the political economy of surveillance or civil liberties are particularly welcomed. Papers offering comparative studies into the politics of surveillance are also encouraged.

Paper abstracts (circa 200 words) should be e-mailed by 28 September 2009 to: Dr Archie Simpson OR Dr Gavin Smith