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Surveillance After the Boston Bombing

Document Type

Blog Posting

Publication Date

2013

Publication Title

The Chronicle of Higher Education: The Conversation

Abstract

We were living in an age of surveillance before the Boston Marathon bombing, but the event and its investigation produced calls for much greater monitoring of our cities and our lives. The media narrative of the investigation, manhunt, and lockdown that followed the bombing was like something out of an action movie, with car chases, shootouts, and a dramatic televised ending. But it was like a science-fiction movie, too, featuring surveillance cameras, smartphones, GPS trackers, facial-recognition technology, thermal imagers, and even a robot. Hovering in the background, ready for the inevitable sequel, are the specters of police surveillance drones.

Keywords

Surveillance, Boston Bombings, Privacy, National Security, Government Surveillance, Public Safety, Civil Liberties, Digital Rights, Technology, Technology Ethics

Publication Citation

Neil M. Richards, Surveillance After the Boston Bombing, The Chronicle of Higher Education: The Conversation (Apr. 29, 2013), https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/conversation/surveillance-after-the-boston-bombings

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