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Video activism and the ambiguities of counter-surveillance

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 09:05 authored by Dean WilsonDean Wilson, Tanya Serisier
This paper examines the use of visual technologies by political activists in protest situations to monitor police conduct. Using interview data with Australian video activists, this paper seeks to understand the motivations, techniques and outcomes of video activism, and its relationship to counter-surveillance and police accountability. Our data also indicated that there have been significant transformations in the organization and deployment of counter-surveillance methods since 2000, when there werelarge-scale protests against the World Economic Forum meeting in Melbourne accompanied by a coordinated campaign that sought to document police misconduct. The paper identifies and examines two inter-related aspects of this: the act of filming and the process of dissemination of this footage. It is noted that technological changes over the last decade have led to a proliferation of visual recording technologies, particularly mobile phone cameras, which have stimulated a corresponding proliferation of images. Analogous innovations in internet communications have stimulated a coterminous proliferation of potential outlets for images. Video footage provides activists with a valuable tool for safety and publicity. Nevertheless, we argue, video activism can have unintended consequences, including exposure to legal risks and the amplification of official surveillance. Activists are also often unable to control the political effects of their footage or the purposes to which it is used. We conclude by assessing the impact that transformations in both protest organization and media technologies might have for counter-surveillance techniques based on visual surveillance.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Surveillance & Society

ISSN

1477-7487

Publisher

Surveillance Studies Network

Issue

2

Volume

8

Page range

166-180

Department affiliated with

  • Sociology and Criminology Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Crime Research Centre Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2017-11-30

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2017-11-30

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2017-11-29

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