FC: Steve Mann and Surveil. Cam Players on how to watch the watchers

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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Date:   Thu, 8 Nov 2001 23:09:23 -0500 (EST)
From: mann () eecg toronto edu
To: declan () well com
Subject: Re: airport security; What's the problem with totalitarianism...
Cc: mann () eecg toronto edu

Declan, here's a response for your list, which I think your politech readers
may find to be of interest:

>From: John Gilmore <gnu () toad com>
>Cc: declan () well com, gnu () toad com
...
>Wendy, you said:
> > All in all, I don't understand the problem with face-cams at borders or
> > airports. It affects only those whose pictures already appear in a 
database,
> > and so the issue should be--who's in the database, not whether or not 
we use
> > this unobtrusive technology.
>You're close to right.  The issue is whether the public will ever be privy
>to how those cameras actually work.
...
>But the catch is that once they put up the cameras, there is no way
>for the public to know WHAT way they are being used.  They could

In my new book (published through Randomhouse, Doubleday, with link
from http://wearcam.org/cyborg.htm) I introduce the notion of
sousveillance (inverse surveillance).  Following Simon Davies' definition
of "totalitarian regime" we can use a camera as a simple totalitarian
tester, e.g. what happens when ordinary citizens photograph officials,
(and perhaps enter their faces into a database)?  If the officials
are upset, we have what we might call a "totalitarian regime".

Davies notes that a totalitarian regime is one in which the regime
would like to know everything about everyone but reveal nothing about
itself.  Thus the real question is not so much whether or not we
have face cams, but, the real question is whether or not officials
also submit to being held accountable (e.g. by way of sousveillance),
in the same way we submit to surveillance.

In my book I describe 20 years of wearing camera systems, in most
day-to-day life, and how people have responded.  Most notable is
the response of officials.  It seems that officials are the ones
most afraid of accountability.

Thus the creation of World Sousveillance Day (http://wearcam.org/wsd.htm)
every year, December 24th in which passengers photograph cab drivers,
customers photograph shopkeepers, citizens photograph police, etc..
There is also a photo competition to encourage participants to send
in pictures to be included in a national face recognition database.

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Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2001 21:36:40 -0500
To: notbored () panix com
From: SCP-New York <notbored () panix com>
Subject: performance against face recognition software

In answer to the call recently issued by FANCLUB in Manchester, England
(see below), the New York SCP will be cutting into the sight lines of a
public web
camera -- an Internet surveillance device -- operated by a
privacy-insensitive company on Saturday 17 November 2001 to protest against
face recognition software.

Used to match freshly captured images of people's faces against databases,
face recognition software is now being introduced at airports all over the
United States (Oakland, Boston, Providence, Denver) to combat so-called
terrorism.

The NY SP's performance will start at exactly 4:30 pm Eastern Standard Time
(1:30 pm in California, 9:30 pm in London and 10:30 pm in Berlin), will
last about 10 minutes, and will be repeated twice if possible.

this URL is your browser supports Java
http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/timessquare/cam6.html

this URL if your browser doesn't support Java (remember to click "Reload"
every 15 seconds or so)
http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/timessquare/cam6_nojava.html

For more information, contact (212) 561-0106 <notbored () panix com>
http://www.surveillancecameraplayers.org


FANCLUB offers a ---

PROPOSED MANCHESTER ACTION 17 November 2001

In response to the developments in face recognition software FANCLUB are
making a performance gesture for Futuresonic. Using Futuresonic's map of
surveillance cameras in Manchester, a team of performers will walk through
Manchester city performing for the cameras with big crosses shaved on their
heads.

This is an idiot-proof and cheap alternative to face recognition software,
it will assist the surveillance workers to spot the trouble-makers, thus
saving much needed capital.

We are performing in an arts festival here in Nottingham. The production
manager Kamal is directing a sonic festival, with an
art/activist/surveillance theme in Manchester 13-18 November. They've
produced a map of all the surveillance cameras in the city centre.

<www.futuresonic.com>

They have commisioned uk artists to make work from SC footage recovered
through the data protection act. This is a collaboration with the
comedian/activist Mark Thomas from Channel 4 fame. All very interesting!

FANCLUB info contact
noquibble () btinternet com




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