LFI Course Materials 4/Week nine

Week 9: Surveillance and the carceral state

• Real time lecture: September 17th 9 - 11 Pacific/12 - 2 Eastern on Zoom https://zoom.us/j/9129428892

Overview

It's no coincidence that the rise in surveillance technologies over the past 30 years has occurred alongside the increase in mass incarceration and violent policing, especially in Black, poor, and immigrant communities. Thanks to the work of accountability movements, we've learned that police now have access to an unprecedented amount of new surveillance equipment that is often acquired and used without democratic oversight. Police also have new relationships with corporate entities, including Amazon, in a mutually beneficial relationship to acquire and deploy more of these surveillance technologies. Now that we're seeing new surveillance infrastructures being discussed to address COVID-19, we'll likely see an increase in the use of carceral technologies used in the name of public health. Myaisha Hayes of Media Justice joins us this week to discuss how surveillance is used in policing and what we can do to stop it.

Readings

• Defend Our Movements digital self-defense knowledge base
• #ProtectBlackDissent campaign
• Racial-Justice, Digital-Rights and Worker Advocates Release Statement in Solidarity with Protesting Amazon Workers and Whistleblowers
• The ACLU's Technology 101 primer on what surveillance technologies police are using
• The ACLU's Community Control of Police Surveillance (CCOPS) coalition statement about the necessity of oversight around police technology
• CCOPS guiding principles for democratic oversight
• Surveillance of George Floyd protests

Guest lecturer

Myaisha Hayes, campaign strategies director at Media Justice

Discussion

TBD

Tasks

• Lecture, discussion, and final project work