Marx Gary T
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA.
Ann Ist Super Sanita. 2007;43(1):12-9.
The new social surveillance can be defined as scrutiny through the use of technical means to extract or create personal or group data, whether from individuals or contexts. Examples include: video cameras; computer matching, profiling and data mining; work, computer and electronic location monitoring; biometrics; DNA analysis; drug tests; brain scans for lie detection; various forms of imaging to reveal what is behind walls and enclosures. There are two problems with the new surveillance technologies. One is that they don't work and the other is that they work too well. If the first, they fail to prevent disasters, bring miscarriages of justice, and waste resources. If the second, they can further inequality and invidious social categorization; they chill liberty. These twin threats are part of the enduring paradox of democratic government that must be strong enough to maintain reasonable order, but not so strong as to become undemocratic.
新的社会监控可以定义为通过使用技术手段进行审查，以提取或创建个人或群体数据，无论是来自个人还是情境。示例包括：摄像机；计算机匹配、剖析和数据挖掘；工作场所、计算机和电子位置监控；生物识别技术；DNA分析；药物测试；用于测谎的脑部扫描；各种形式的成像，以揭示墙壁和围栏后面的情况。新的监控技术存在两个问题。一个是它们不起作用，另一个是它们效果太好。如果是前者，它们无法预防灾难，导致司法不公，并浪费资源。如果是后者，它们会加剧不平等和有害的社会分类；它们会抑制自由。这双重威胁是民主政府持久悖论的一部分，民主政府必须强大到足以维持合理秩序，但又不能强大到变得不民主。
