Surveillance & Monitoring

How communication, behaviour and networks are tracked to restrict freedom of expression.

Summary

Surveillance and monitoring are methods of digital repression used to observe what people say, who they speak to, what networks they belong to, and what they may publish next.

The effect is not only information gathering. Surveillance can change behaviour before anything is censored directly. Writers, journalists, publishers, artists and human rights voices may avoid certain subjects, withdraw from interviews, protect family members by staying silent, or stop publishing under their own name.

What this method includes

This method includes social media monitoring, personal information gathering, network mapping, monitoring of family members, colleagues and associates, event, travel or location monitoring, and doxxing or threats to expose private information.

How it works

This method usually works by collecting information from public, private, leaked or coerced sources. It may include screenshots of social media posts, lists of contacts, records of event attendance, family connections, published interviews, or information gathered through pressure on other people.

The aim is often to create fear, identify networks, predict future activity, or make people feel that speaking publicly will create consequences for themselves or others.

Case studies

Case studies will be added here as interviews, documentation and verified examples are published.

Relevant interviews

Relevant interviews will appear here when they are tagged with this method.

Related articles will appear here when they are tagged with this method.