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Maria Figueroa
Prof. Derohanessian
English 113B
23 March, 2015
Surveillance
It is unbelievable, but true that surveillance is constantly held in our lives today. We live in a
society where apparently we are not alone and where privacy does not exist anymore. The article,
Surveillance cant make us secure by Julian Sanchez says that individuals do not have their
own privacy because the government tends to access their information. For example, Sanchez
says that in October 26, 2001, the United States passed the Patriot Act. This act allows the
government to monitor everything from emails, medical records, library accounts, calls and
individuals personal information. Government is constantly keeping an eye on us, we are
literally being watched. In the other hand, the book 1984 by George Orwell warned us about
government controlling individuals actions. Orwell provides examples on how surveillance
plays a key role in the novel. Surveillance is not a good idea because it allows government and
many others companies to have certain control over us. For example, in the book 1984 Orwell
shows a world in which all people are under the governments control, through surveillance and
that makes them to behave with fear. In addition, Surveillance is not a benefit for us because it
gives government the power to control us and we are exposed to be easily tracked and can
caused identify theft.
Individuals can easily be tracked. Technology increases every day and it gives government
more opportunities to track individuals. According to the article Industry Self-Regulation, Not

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Government Intervention, Is the Best way to protect Consumers from Data Attacks by William
Saito states that the twentieth century gave rise to the Internet, and made it easier for the
government to control peoples lives. Sometimes we access the Internet thinking that no one is
able to see what we do and what websites we visit, but that is false because behind the screen is
the government. For example, when People visit a website or creates an account and accept the
terms and conditions, they are allowing the source and government to obtain their information
(Sanchez1). Individuals who access the Internet are branded with a code just like in the 1984.
Also, Facebook, Twitter, and Yahoo apps require people to provide important information such
as, name, address, birthdate, and cell phone number. By individuals providing their personal
information, they can easily be tracked because there is always an individual tracking our
information online. In addition, when we post photos, send emails, or chat with people, they can
easily find out our location because our devices have the location service always active
(Sanchez1). People sometimes delete things that they do not want to have in their accounts, but
they believe that once they delete it is no longer online. In reality, nothing can be deleted from
the Internet, once is there, and stays there (Sanchez2). The book 1984 George Orwell talks
about how surveillance is a powerful mechanism used by the party. According to Orwell the
citizens of Oceania are constantly watched by a microscope; every word, movement and action is
captured. They were always controlled because there were posters of Big Brother everywhere.
Peoples believe about Big brothers posters was that he was always watching them. They could
not do anything because they always thought of Big brother is watching you (Orwell2). Our
way of living now is closely related to the way individuals were living in Oceania because our
words, actions, and movements are being captured just like theirs.

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Every place we go, we are being watched. Cameras play an important role on keeping our
society under surveillance. For example, owners of many properties have cameras everywhere.
Sanchez states that cameras are installed as a way to prevent crimes and to see peoples actions.
There are occasions when we visit a place and there are no signs warning us if we are being
recorded or not. Surveillance is basically hidden. In addition, the way we are being recorded and
watched relates on how the party was keeping an eye on the citizens of Oceania. In deed, there
was always a tele-screen on, that was receiving and transmitting simultaneously any sound that
Winston and individuals would make (Orwell4). Everything was captured regardless of the day
and time. In our society cameras are on at any time and day, we just do not know when we are
being watched by others. The fact that our society is always capturing all we do represents how
the party in 1984 will do anything to capture every single movement of the people in Oceania.
Orwell also mentions that no one really knew when they were being watched. In Oceania
people were captured even on the dark. Orwell says there was of course no way of knowing
whether you were being watched or heard at any moment you did not know how often or on
what system the Thought Police plugged in on any individual (4). Moreover this process of
surveillance in our society also relates to Michel Foucault system. For example, the gaze is alert
everywhere, there is always someone keeping an eye on individuals behavior in the town
(Foucault1). Foucault also mentioned that there were officers guards at the gates, at town hall,
and in every quarter to ensure the prompt obedience of the people (1). People in the town did not
have their own freedom nor privacy because there was always someone keeping track of what
they were doing. Foucault also says at the periphery, an annular building: at the center, a tower,
where someone usually stood up to see what prisoners were doing (1). The tower has two
windows and allows the light to across the cell from one end to the other to allow the

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supervisor to observe everything thoroughly (Foucault3). The Tower made it possible for them to
see and recognize everything immediately. Moreover, the bank is a space that also relates to
surveillance in Foucault and in 1984 because it is a space that tends to be controlling people. The
bank has cameras everywhere recording our behaviors and at the same time invading our privacy
because there is a second person seeing what we are currently doing. To be under surveillance is
uncomfortable because we are forced to behave in a way with fear like all individuals in
Oceania.
Surveillance is not beneficial because can cause identity theft. Government is constantly
collecting information from us, and most of them include our personal information. Not only
that, but private companies are also doing the same as the government. We have no assurance
that our information is secured. For example, Saito says that even common documents such as
licenses, passports and payment cards that we carry around with us contain (RFID- radio
frequency identification ship (2). All these sensors are constantly busy, collecting and
transmitting our personal information to other devises without our knowledge. In addition, every
time such information is transmitted and received, there is a very real risk that the data may be
intercepted by people other than those for whom it was originally intended. Target is a perfect
example of this incident. Not that long ago, I saw the news that Target experienced a security
break that affected millions of people. Jian Lynn says that the thieves who stole massive amounts
of credit and debit card information at Target during the holiday season also swept up names,
addresses and phone numbers of 70 million customers, information that could put people on risk
of identity theft (1). How government interfere can drastically affect people. This incident also
relates to 1984 because Winston was in charge of falsifying and altering the past and to change
peoples names to make their information credible. My sisters experience also reflects how

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government control is not safe. One day she got a call where she was informed that her credit
card was used at Target and that she needed to make a payment. She knew that she had not
bought anything, so she panicked and called that bank. Once she called she found out that her
card was used on an online purchase that she never did. So having other people to have access to
our personal information is dangerous.
Although, I believe surveillance is not beneficial for us, many people believe that it is
essential and important in our society. For example, Jim Rickards says in the article 5 reasons
why the NSAS Massive Surveillance Program Is No Big Deal (And 2 Reasons) surveillance is
a benefit because it is an important tool to fight terrorism. Also, some people believe that it is
needed to keep track of individuals and to prevent illegal problems. The government also
believes that by having a society under surveillance, the security of individuals will increase. In
my opinion Surveillance is just affecting peoples privacy and we all need privacy in our life.
Overall, Surveillance plays an important role in our society, 1984 and Foucaults article.
Today, we are not having privacy since our information is being shared with the government and
individuals. Also, everywhere we go, there are cameras keeping an eye on us, just like
individuals in Oceania were being watched by the tele screen and the tower was capturing
individuals movement in Foucault. To sum it up, Surveillance is not a good idea because does
not allow us to have privacy.

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Work Cited
Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish 1975. New York. Vintage Books. 1977. Print.
Francis, David. 5 Reasons Why The NSAs Massive Surveillance Program Is No Big Deal (And
2 Reasons It Is). Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 11 June 2013. Web. 24 Mar.
2015
Sanchez, Julian. Surveillance Cant Make Us Secure. The Nation (15 Feb. 2010). Rpt. In Civil
Liberties. Ed. Noel Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Saito, William H. Industry Self- Regulation, Not Government Intervention, Is the Best Way to
Protect Consumers from Data Attacks. Cybercrime. Ed Louise I. Gerdes. Detroit:
Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. From Our Naked Data. Futurist
45.4 (July 2011). Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Yang, Jia L. "Target Says up to 70 Million More Customers Were Hit by December Data
Breach." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2014. Web. 03 May 2015.