2020 saw many of us move our working and social lives almost wholly online as a consequence of the Coronavirus crisis. As a result, the scale of surveillance individuals have been subjected to, both voluntarily and involuntarily, has expanded remarkably. The acceleration of digital surveillance, be it driven by public health or private consumption, has not only resulted in a precipitous decline in an individual's ability to seclude themselves (and information about themselves), but arguably a public decline in the embracing of privacy as a virtue.

How many of us read the small print about data sharing before downloading, subscribing, or using an endless variety of online video conferencing platforms and online interactive tools? How many of us consider who has access to that data, for how long and whether it’s held securely? In states of exception, during moments of crisis, is a decline in privacy and an increase in surveillance not only unavoidable, but good and proper?

To explore these questions, and others, join our panel of speakers from King’s College London and Sciences-Po Paris including:

Chair: Berenice Burnett, a PhD candidate in the Department of War Studies.

• Professor Didier Bigo, King’s College London and Sciences-Po Paris, whose current project, GUARDINT, is looking at oversight in intelligence networks;
• Sir David Omand, Visiting Professor in the Department of War Studies, previously he served as the inaugural UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator, the Director of GCHQ, and as the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office;
• Abigail Wilson, King’s alumna and Cyber Threats Operation Manager for PwC specialising in technical and strategic threats emanating from the MENA region;
• Madeleine Stone, Legal and Policy Officer from Big Brother Watch, focusing on the impact of the emergency coronavirus powers on civil liberties with a focus on surveillance.

Register via Zoom