Privacy, CCTV, and School Surveillance in the Shadow of Imagined Law

Abstract

Our study examines the deployment of CCTV systems in Israeli schools, which is taking place in the shadow of an ambiguous law. Based on semi-structured interviews, the study portrays a picture of partial isomorphism among schools. We frame the findings within institutional theory, which differentiates between external and internal sources of decision-making. We found that most school principals relied on internal sources that were shaped by practical considerations and their perceptions as to security, privacy, and education. The interviews indicate a new source of organizational decision-making: imagined law. The principals wrongly assumed that there is a law that applies; they filled it with internal sources, did not search for professional guidance, and limited the participants in the discussions.

Keywords: privacy, surveillance, technology, school, education, imagined law, ambiguous law, isomorphism