FC: "World Sousveillance Day" today -- Watching the watchers

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Mon Dec 24 2001 - 08:21:47 PST

  • Next message: Declan McCullagh: "FC: More on FCC wants to yank Kevin Mitnick's radio license"

    http://wearcam.org/wsd.htm
    
         _________________________________________________________________
       
                                 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    
       Destruction of privacy and dignity by unaccountable organizations to
       become a target of ordinary citizens.
       
       An international coalition that includes artists, scientists,
       engineers, scholars, and others is declaring December 24, to be "World
       Sousveillance Day", or "World Subjectrights Day".
       
                            THE SHOT SEEN AROUND THE WORLD:
                                           
       At noon on Monday, December 24, 2001, ordinary people all over the
       world will call into question the growing and dehumanizing effects of
       increased video surveillance, automated face recognition, and
       Covernment (Corporate+Government) tracking in public places, as well
       as private places.
       
       Often Covernment officials that use video surveillance try to prohibit
       others from taking pictures or video within their establishments or
       regimes, but on this day, many people will photograph these officials,
       their establishments, and their security systems.
       
       As high noon sweeps past various time zones, the shot heard around the
       world will be that of clicking cameras.
       
       Rather than protesting by carrying signs, or by marching, citizens
       will protest by going on shooting sprees. Armed with their own
       photographic or videographic cameras and recording devices, and
       shielded with masks or disguises, ordinary citizens will dish out some
       accountability while remaining anonymous to the massive proliferation
       of face tracking surveillance.
       
                                HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?
                                           
       All you need to do is bring a disguise and a camera --- any camera
       (even a fake or maybe camera, a broken camera, or one with an empty
       film magazine) --- to a place where video surveillance is used.
       
                          HOW WILL I KNOW WHO I SHOULD SHOOT?
                                           
       Taking pictures of the surveillance cameras, or even just wearing a
       disguise, will cause models to appear very quickly for you to
       photograph. When you point your camera at their cameras, the officials
       watching their television monitors will very quickly dispatch the
       models for you to shoot. This is a universal phenomenon that happens
       in nearly any large organization where video surveillance is used.
       Models often carry two--way radios and wear navy blue uniforms with
       special badges. Most will be eager to pose close to your camera,
       especially the hand models:
       [v0011.jpg] [v0015.jpg]
       (director of security at Westin Hotels)
       They will reach out to you. They want to get close to you. They will
       crave the glamour of your camera. They will reach out and touch you,
       or place their hands over your camera lens so you can get a closup
       picture of their photogenic fingerprints.
       
       Why December 24th?
       
       This is a day when police are very busy watching for shoplifters,
       phone lines are very clogged, and communication is conjested.
       
       It is a time also when folks are reflecting on the year's activity and
       World Subjectright Day will be something for people to think about
       over the holidays.
       
                                      RATIONALE:
                                           
       We are all accountable for our actions. Covernment keeps us under
       surveillance, whether we're just walking down the street, shopping, or
       sometimes even when we're changing clothes in department store fitting
       rooms (Phil Patton, Jan. '95, WiReD).
       
       When we ask why we are under video surveillance, we are told by the
       Covernment that ``only criminals are afraid of cameras'', or we are
       asked ``why are you so paranoid''. Now is the time to allow the
       Covernment to define itself.
       
       The camera is Hamlet's Mirror, allowing the Covernment to define
       itself within a Reflectionist context.
         _________________________________________________________________
    
    
    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list
    You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice.
    Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/
    To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html
    This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon Dec 24 2001 - 09:38:31 PST