| Become a member or subscribe to receive our monthly newsletter. We continue our work in 2026 with research/stories/podcasts that caught our attention. |
| Conferences |
| Join us at the 11th Biennial Surveillance Studies Network Conference! Planetary Surveillance is the theme of the 11th Biennial Surveillance Studies Network (SSN2026), taking place 9–12 June 2026 in Lille, France. Hosted by Université Catholique de Lille, ETHICS, and ISTC, the conference examines surveillance at the planetary scale, from climate monitoring to migration and global governance. The call for papers and participation is now open and welcomes submissions across disciplines and formats. The extended deadline is 21 January 2026. More information is available at SSN and the local website. Like SSN2024, there will be a Majority World track at the conference. Join us! |
| Academic Publications |
| An Anatomy of AI Surveillance in Africa The 2025 edited volume analyses the deployment of tools such as facial recognition and CCTV across the continent. It examines the discrepancy between their official justification for security and their application in monitoring citizens. A key focus is the role of China as a leading supplier of these technologies to African states. The scholarly work is aimed at researchers and policymakers in digital governance and security studies. Read more here. Coloniality In Queer Asylum: Towards Theorising ‘Colonial Surveillance’ and its Resistances The study uses the concept of “colonial surveillance” to describe how European asylum systems assess queer refugees. It finds these evaluations rely on colonial-era notions of identity and persecution. The analysis, based in Berlin and Copenhagen, also documents the strategies of resistance used by refugees and support organizations against this system. Read in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. Feminist Digital Citizenship in Africa The open-access edited volume presents a collection of case studies on digital feminist activism from across the continent. The research includes work from non-majority-English countries such as Malawi, Mozambique, and Senegal, which tend to receive less coverage in Anglophone scholarship. The studies examine the intersection of gender with factors like class and religion within digital social movements. Read more here. Special Issue: Platform Economies in Digital Asia A special issue of Social Media + Society examines platform economies in Asia, analysing them as dynamic concepts. The issue includes studies on topics ranging from Japanese convenience stores to Indian short-video platforms. The collective work explores how Asian cases contribute to global debates on platform labour and governance. Read more in the Journal Social Media + Society. |
| News |
| Google Withdraws Appeal in Uganda Privacy Case Google has withdrawn its appeal in a Ugandan data privacy case, accepting the ruling of the nation’s Personal Data Protection Office. The company is now required to register with the regulator, appoint a local Data Protection Officer, and comply with cross-border data transfer rules. This decision is viewed as a notable development for platform regulation within Africa. Read the news here and a commentary entitled “Uganda: Google’s Withdrawal – A Win For African Data Sovereignty?” here. India Reverses Mandatory Pre-Install Order for Cyber Safety App India has scrapped its plan to mandate smartphone makers to pre-install its Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on new devices. The move followed a backlash from privacy advocates and politicians, who warned it could enable mass surveillance. The government reversed its order days after the controversy, citing the app’s existing, voluntary adoption. Read more here. ICE is Using Smartwatches to Track Pregnant Women The US is requiring pregnant immigrants in its monitoring programs to wear non-removable, GPS-tracking smartwatches (VeryWatch). This is causing them to avoid essential medical care out of panic. They fear that removing the devices for procedures like C-sections will trigger immediate detention and deportation. Read more here. |
| Films & Commentaries |
| Essay-Documentary: Ghost in the Machine Valerie Veatch’s new documentary traces the origins of artificial intelligence not to machines, but to systems of power behind today’s AI hype. Screening at Sundance, the film examines the philosophical, cultural, and political forces driving the global AI boom. Through interviews with scholars and thinkers from around the world, it explores what AI is, who builds it, and the often-hidden human labour that sustains it. The documentary ultimately asks how people can retain agency in an increasingly AI-driven world. Read more here. Workers’ Autonomy in Digitalised Workspaces: The Politics of Algorithmic Management A Kenyan High Court recently made a judicial review ruling in favour of employees who challenged a mandatory facial biometric attendance system citing non-compliance with various constitutional and data protection mandates. This article discusses why worker algorithmic management is not just a technical issue but a socio-political contest over power between employers mode of control and worker autonomy. Read more here. |
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| Surveillance in The Majority World Research Network aims to expand the scope of surveillance studies to include non-Northern/Western discourses and practices. It is a place for exchange, collaboration, and activism against the undemocratic use of surveillance technologies. |
