Sousveillance

Sousveillance, coined by Steve Mann, refers to the concept of “inverse surveillance.” Derived from the French word “sous” meaning below, this term contrasts the typical surveillance, which comes from the word “sur” meaning above. Sousveillance means that the participant of an activity records that activity usually by way of a small wearable camera, physically shifting the viewpoint of the recording lower. This concept is fueled by the emergence of small digital technologies, and the frustration of only authorities being able to surveil. Sousveillance provides power to the people, but with power and cameras ethical problems are sure to arise.

HISTORY

Steve Mann is a Canadian researcher and a strong advocate for privacy rights. Together with Professor Ian Kerr, he has written extensively on surveillance and developed the concept of sousveillance. Mann believes that sousveillance will “enhance the ability of people to access and collect data about their surveillance and to neutralize surveillance.” Sousveillance spreads the power that historically only belonged to authorities onto the people. In the past “security operates by tracking ‘everything that moves (Lyon).’”