Confirmed participants: Louise Amoore (Durham University); Kirstie Ball (Open University); Debbie Lisle (Queen’s University Belfast); Luis Lobo-Guerrero (Keele University); Beate Roessler (University of Amsterdam); Marieke de Goede (University of Amsterdam)
After 9/11, many European states adopted a so-called “intelligence-led approach” to combating terrorism. This approach stresses proactive and sometimes massive information gathering and data exchange in order to prevent and preempt terrorist attacks. Two important characteristics of this approach are: increased cooperation with private authorities to obtain a wide range of information and a strong belief that terrorism can be prevented through smart technologies. These technologies, often initially designed for commercial purposes, allow law enforcement and intelligence agencies to ‘connect the dots’ through profiling, data mining, social network analysis, risk analysis and other predictive technologies.
This workshop explores questions relating to the implications for ethics, responsibility and political decision of the new data-led approach to fighting terrorism in Europe. Critics have highlighted the impact of counter terrorism policy on principles of liberal governance such as respect for human rights, rule of law, individual freedom and democratic rule. Furthermore, important theoretical issues can be raised in this context, for example with regard to public-private security cooperation, the constitution of ‘Europe’ through these practices; the relation between sovereignty and governmentality and the politics of risk and preemption in the war on terror. A continued debate is needed, on the one hand to better understand the practices in the intelligence-led fight against terrorism, and on the other hand to identify the possibilities, limits and consequences of the fight against terrorism through data.
We welcome paper proposals from researchers across the social sciences and the humanities that reflect on both the theoretical implications and the practical manifestations of European datawars. Possible themes are:
• Ethics, responsibility and justice in European datawars
• Privacy, security and human rights
• Risk, prevention, preemption
• Datawars and surveillance
• Private authorities, states and the European Union
• Constituting Europe through datawars
Abstracts of 200-300 words should be sent to Mara Wesseling, University of Amsterdam by March 1. We will select contributions by March 20. Paper drafts should be submitted by May 15 2009. Work in progress is welcome.
The Surveillance Studies Centre
c/o David Murakami Wood
Department of Criminology
University of Ottawa
Canada