In this talk Dr Amy Stevens will present research from her forthcoming book, Resisting State Surveillance in the Digital Age. The book is part of the Routledge Studies in Surveillance Series and will be available to buy on 9th August 2024. To join the seminar, all you need to do is click the 'join the seminar' link below. The link will become live 15 minutes before the start time of 2pm/1400 hrs. 

The book provides an in-depth examination of the complexity and diversity of organised opposition to increasing state surveillance powers in the UK. Taking the introduction of the Investigatory Powers Act as a central case study and combining an analysis of publicly available commentary and campaign materials, with detailed expert interviews, the book provides a comprehensive mapping of organised opposition to state surveillance at a time of heightened debate. It reveals the importance of looking at resistance from a multi-actor perspective, capturing the complex relationships between the actors that oppose state surveillance measures. It traces the varied arguments and knowledge that these groups bring to debates, and the–at times unlikely–coalitions that are formed as a result. The state’s mobilization in response, and the strategies designed to defy and diminish the value and knowledge of this opposition are also given much needed scrutiny.

Dr Amy Stevens is a Research Associate in the Department of Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield. Her research interests are broadly focused on the use and development of new surveillance technologies–by both states and citizens–and how they are governed. In particular, she focuses on the use of data and new technologies for investigating and detecting crime, understanding resistance and opposition to their use, and the human rights and social justice issues which surround them.

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