The Economy of Surveillance

Lipartito, Kenneth (2010): The Economy of Surveillance.

Abstract

Surveillance is integral to modern societies. This paper considers the economic forces behind surveillance, the use of surveillance in the private sector, and the social consequences for the continued growth of surveillance over the past several centuries. It argues that the demand for surveillance of people will grow, while the cost of providing surveillance continues to fall. As a result, surveillance will feed upon itself, with detrimental social consequences.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: surveillance; information; privacy; credit reporting
• Subjects: N - Economic History > N8 - Micro-Business History; Z - Other Special Topics > Z1 - Cultural Economics ; Economic Sociology ; Economic Anthropology > Z10 - General; D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty

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