Panopticon as the Concept of a Security System in the Digital Age

Introduction to the topic

The Digital Age, also known as New Media Age, Computer or Information Age, is a period that associates with the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century which led to the nowadays technological development era (in the 21st century). Digital Age is characterized by the rapid shift from a traditional – analog period to a revolutionizing modern technology - digital society.

Focusing on the disadvantages of modern tech investments, we realize that the impacts of the continuous progressive technological evolution and the onset of the digital world era, leaded people on losing their liberty, privacy, and right of personal choices and move on their lives.

It will first consider Jeremy Bentham's concept of Panopticon institutional building and the following Phenomenon of Panopticism of the French philosopher Michel Foucault in his book Discipline and Punish. It will then go on to describe the idea behind this security construction and the theory of Foucault as well as the impacts this has on the late technology progression and surveillance security.

Secondly, by considering that this modern society is bombarded by images, information, and advertisements, there are systems guided by a ''few'' people that control every kind of data which concerns the whole world in general. These systems are well known as a part of The Surveillance. This surveillance community is composed by technicians, hackers and technology masters, who are supported by high technology equipment and databases, such as CCTV cameras, mobile phone tracking software and the cyberspace (internet), to select statistics and evidence about everyone and everything on their archives. With or without any permission, whether people admit it to their selves or not, and whether they like it or not, they're (we are) being tracked all the time.

The Panopticon

In the 18th century and specifically in 1785, the philosopher and sociologist Jeremy Bentham designed the first panopticon prison building. The idea of this construction was the all-time observation and surveillance of the inmates from everywhere by a single watchman, without making them being able to know where they are under inspection.

Nevertheless, the fact that the watchman couldn't have the opportunity to look after all the cells at once, meant that the prisoners had to mind their own actions and adjust them according to the constant surveillance. This image portrays the building from the inside and clearly shows the complexity of the cells around the perimeter of the central surveillance tower where the official is placed in. The prisoners were separated into classes, by their age, sex, and the type and earnestness of their offenses. On the other hand, Foucault's Discipline and Punish, eventually concludes that the idea of the Panopticon is a metaphor for developed 'disciplinary' societies and their extensive desire to inspect and normalize. 

'On the whole, therefore, one can speak of the formation of a disciplinary society in this movement that stretches from the enclosed disciplines, a sort of social 'quarantine', to an indefinitely generalizable mechanism of 'panopticism'.'

The Panopticon is an architectural model of the disciplinary power of the modern-day. This idea creates an apprehension of permanent observation as a form of power, where no railings, chains, and massive locks are necessary for domination at this point. Foucault proposes that not only reformatories or penitentiary systems, but all hierarchical institutions have evolved through history to resemble Bentham's Panopticon.

''The notoriety of the design today (although not its lasting influence in architectural realities) stems from Foucault's famous analysis of it.''

Further analysis of surveillance, and of the archival sources that describe the process of building it from Panopticon to modern society, suggests that the past may not be the central subject, but only a medium.

Modern types of Surveillance

Thus, in the modern and in parts of the developing world, surveillance societies have started to emerge. Surveillance are societies that act because of the extensive collection of data, the recording, storage, analysis, and application of information on individuals and groups of people as they go about their lives. Retail loyalty programs, websites and the cookies of them, national identity concepts, routine health screening, and other ways of data and information collection, are all characterized as surveillance (n.d., ''An introduction to the surveillance society'').

All these tracking systems have a variety of impacts on people's privacy. Without people giving their permission or be aware of that they are under constant surveillance. For this purpose, they will be mention some examples about those impacts and the ways where people bear to exposed voluntary or involuntary, their personal data and private information. It is fact that consumers tend to use smartphones, computers and networks or similar devices, to make their ordinary life easier. Everyone seems to choose a gadget under some criteria. A high-definition screen, a high-resolution camera or high storage capacity are assumed as benefits, without considering if these had effects on their privacy and right to “invisibility” (oblivion).

The CCTV cameras

As the lifestyle have been modernized and the technological improvements have increased as well, people started contemplating the use of advanced technology as means of surveillance. A good example of this new technology investment is the establishment of CCTV cameras to secure public areas. This technological achievement was a massive relief for the police (1950 - 60s) and the security companies regarding 24/7 general protection. Although it did not stay at this stage for a long time but developed regarding the individual interests of companies.

For instance, if we assume that all the big companies started to install security cameras (CCTV) to protect their properties such as records, data, and private documents, we can easily realize that they have something they are afraid of. This ''something'' is other humans. Hence companies have started to install surveillance cameras to supervise their own employees. The main reason is the non-trust that has been built between people. In this case between the employers and the employees, and the necessity of higher security for the avoidance of any corruption. Also, in a dynamic and competitive environment such as companies based in the financial services sector for example, regarding the risk of their prestige and their financial profits, they tend to use monitor systems (such as CCTV cameras) to protect their business interests and prevent any misconduct.

Although companies care only about their personal benefits from these systems and seek compliance with legal and regulatory obligations from their employees, their staff have benefited from these advantages as well. Their rights are more protected now because of the prevention of theft, violence and other crimes and their health and safety is protected at the same time (n.d., ''Use of CCTV in the workplace in the UK: its roles and its risks'').

Tracking personal space and individuals

''Surveillance has spilled out of its old nation-state containers to become a feature of everyday life, at work, at home, at play on the move.''

If we examine this statement, it is clearly noticeable that the surveillance revolution has expanded to every part of our lives. On the other hand, except for big companies and public surveillance, due to the fact that this is an extended phenomenon, surveillance systems have invaded personal, domestic spaces. As it has already been mentioned, people come across new technological innovations so that they can make their life easier and more simple. Ordinary devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and networks, seem to be the pathway of the access and connection in the entire world. One great example that needs to be mentioned in this case are all the social media. Most of people have logged on more than once on Facebook, Google or Spotify from a cell phone or computer through the internet.

All these famous applications and social networks of the social media community have been transmitting identifying details to a massive amount of advertising and internet tracking companies. In effect, they provide access to users' names and information and, in some cases, their contacts' names as well. In addition, if we might consider that the privacy policy terms of all social media are acceptable, fair, and keeps users' personal details secure, on the contrary, does not look like it is happening for real.

(No)Right to Oblivion

The definition of what 'digital' means (or what 'information' means) continues to change over time as new technologies, user devices, methods of interaction with other humans and devices enter the domain of research, development, and market launch.

Conclusion

The concept of that ''surveillance society'' has become a central part of privacy. If we consider that surveillance means ''to watch over'' and ''watch from above'', this implies that people's privacy is mostly an illusion. Since Bentham's Panopticon idea which influenced Foucault to investigate the possibilities of make it real, people end up being watched constantly by surveillance. Panopticon was not the first concept of a security system, but the one that brought the revolution on surveillance societies. Also, the evolution of this phenomenon managed to reach the standards for a high-security society and create several ways of surveillance in public. At the same time, new technological improvements came to the forefront and that had as result in the modern society being under digital surveillance that time until now.

CCTV cameras, and the tracking of personal devices, are some samples of digital surveillance in people's everyday life and soon they became the fear of losing privacy and the right of personal liberty. Thus this ''useful'' illusion, and there is no doubt about it, allows people to live without being paralyzed by their self-consciousness. The illusion of security gives people space to act completely natural, sharing personal information and risking their privacy.

''But all the while, the line between private and public space is as porous as tissue paper.'' 

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