SOC 226 - Surveillance Studies Notes

Course Information

• Course: SOC 226 - Surveillance Studies: International Perspectives
• Instructor: Dr. Daniel Konikoff
• Date: Tuesday, March 25th, 2025

Important Dates and Assignments

• Housekeeping Notes:
  • Essay is due tonight.
  • Final exam scheduled for Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025, at 1 PM.
  • Format: Two hours, consisting of 100 multiple-choice (MC) questions.
  • Platform: Administered in class via Canvas.

Documentary Overview

• Title: Surveilled (2024)
• Focus:
  • Investigates the global spyware market.
  • Highlights Ronan Farrow’s efforts as a reporter for The New Yorker.
  • Concentrates on the NSO Group and its spyware tool, Pegasus, examining its applications in various national and political contexts.

Key Questions for Discussion

1. How does spyware work?

   • Focus on the technological and operational aspects of spyware.
   • Discuss its capabilities and implications for privacy and security.

2. Surveillance Industrial Complex:

   • Analyze the documentary's viewpoint on surveillance technology as a commercial product.
   • Examine how private companies market these products to governments.

3. Push-back Against Spyware:

   • Discuss various methods employed by individuals and countries to resist the proliferation and sale of spyware.

4. Justification by Governments and Companies:

   • Explore how governments rationalize their acquisition and deployment of spyware.
   • Investigate how companies ethically navigate the sale and usage of their spyware products.

5. Use by Autocracies vs. Democracies:

   • Compare and contrast the ways different political regimes utilize spyware, including the targets of such operations.
   • Assess public and international reactions to these practices.