The Everyday Life of Surveillance

The 4th Seminar in the Surveillance Studies Network/Economic and Social Research Council Seminar Series on ‘The Everyday Life of Surveillance’ will take place on Wednesday, 6th May 2009 at the University of Edinburgh, 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. The venue is the McEwan Hall Reception Room.

The topic of the seminar is ’Surveillance: Governance, Regulation, Control’, with a focus upon existing and prospective ways of limiting, regulating, and governing surveillance. Among its themes are issues of management and power in surveillance practices and in their control, and the evaluation of the instruments and jurisdictional levels at which surveillance is or may be regulated, bearing in mind new developments in technology and in business and government policies that are predicated upon intensified surveillance. Incorporating but transcending the question of civil liberties and the regulation of personal privacy invasions, the seminar also aims to consider how social discrimination and stigmatisation can be controlled, and to explore ways of developing impact assessments for surveillance practices. Alongside a discussion of British developments, including recent government and parliamentary activity bearing upon surveillance and its regulation, global, international and comparative dimensions of regulation will be highlighted.

The main speakers are expected to be: William Webster (University of Stirling), Ben Goold (University of Oxford), Lee Bygrave (University of Oslo), Charles Raab (University of Edinburgh), and Ken Macdonald (Assistant Commissioner, ICO).

We've already sent out invites to all regular attendees but there are still places available. They are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no charge for attendance, which will include lunch and refreshments.

Further information about the venue and timetable will be available soon. Meanwhile, please contact Kim McCartney at:

For more information see: The Surveillance Studies Network