systematic observation, collection, and analysis of information about individuals or populations
state surveillance: intelligence agencies, CCTV networks, communications interception, mass metadata collection
corporate surveillance: behavioral tracking, data brokerage, advertising profiles, location history
historical: secret police (Stasi, KGB), postal interception, informant networks
modern scale: NSA PRISM program, Chinese social credit system, facial recognition in public spaces
Snowden revelations (2013): exposed global mass surveillance infrastructure operated by Five Eyes alliance
panopticon effect: behavior changes when people know they are watched, even when they are free
censorship and surveillance are complementary tools of information control
countermeasures: end-to-end encryption, Tor, zero-knowledge proofs, decentralized identity
cyber as surveillance-resistant infrastructure: content-addressed data, cryptographic ownership, peer-to-peer architecture
see also human rights, privacy, propaganda, decentralization