Equality

In discussions concerning the relationship between surveillance and equality, the latter is understood as lack of discrimination among individuals or social groups. In the context of surveillance, social groups are mainly conceptualized through categorization, based on socially constructed categories and situation-dependent criteria. Some surveillance practices that are relevant from the point of view of equality are explicitly aimed at surveilling individuals; in other cases, surveillance is an unintended consequence. In terms of its effect, surveillance can either reinforce or reduce social equality. The relationship between social equality and surveillance often comes up in the context of law enforcement practices and social policies, and it often relates to the phenomenon of intersectionality (i.e., people whose social position is determined by the interplay of multiple social disadvantages). ...