Beyond Surveillance: Data Control and Body Cameras

Abstract

Body cameras collect video data - lots of it - and thus many have raised questions about increased government surveillance. But if understood primarily as data collection, surveillance represents only one concern. In our big data age, “seeing, monitoring, and recording the digital footprints is quite different from sharing, releasing, revealing or publicizing the data.” Body camera policies must address not only concerns about surveillance, but also data control.

Keywords: policing, police, surveillance, body cameras, technology, information, data, facial recognition, Ferguson, accountability, transparency