Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: When faced with a serious threat to security ? regardless of whether the threat is natural or manmade ? a normal reaction is to respond with increased surveillance. To watch is -- ideally ? to prevent harm, and if not to prevent harm, then to mitigate it; but surveillance itself is not without costs and risks. This paper will examine the political economy of global surveillance systems through a focused case study of information gathering, analysis, and dissemination conducted under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Interviews and archival research will be used to answer key research questions: What are the relevant norms for surveillance, and how are they established? How do institutional structures enable (or hinder) surveillance? Does the outcome of surveillance improve or worsen global welfare? And, how is power instantiated in the ability to control information flows with respect to content, velocity, and volume?