Age of Surveillance

anonymous mask being removed
Online anonymity is a thing of the past
AGE OF SURVEILLANCE
In 2024, it’s impossible to not feel watched. From iPhones to Ring Cameras to smart watches, we’re used to the feeling that our devices are tracking us for our health data, shopping habits, and more. But that feeling is a two-way street.

In the Age of Surveillance, internet users, viewers, and everyday citizens become the surveillants. The surveilled are influencers, the subject of true crime content, adoptees, and residents sharing camera footage with police departments. These stories raise the question: Who’s watching who?
young woman disturbed by phone content
For influencers, online stalking is a real-life threat
Police crime scene tape
The invisible victims of true crime content
Mother with child streaming online video of unboxing toys.
Influencers are putting foster and adopted kids in the limelight—advocates are calling it exploitation
city scene with surveillance icons overlaid in various locations
Police struggle to justify use of Fusus, a community surveillance tool they foisted on citizens
Written by Sarah Hennis, Claire Waheed, Colette Fountain, Sasha Rogelberg, and Samantha Barrett
Edited by Kris Seavers and David Covucci
Art by Jason Reed
The Daily Dot