Abstract
Within sociology and criminology, complex debates are, therefore, now taking place which examine whether surveillance is centralized, in the Orwellian sense, or whether the growth of surveillance systems is more dispersed, decentralized, and ‘rhizomatic’, more ‘like a creeping plant than a centrally controlled trunk with spreading branches’ (Lyon 2001a, p. 4). However, the idea that surveillance is now diffusing into society at large and is no longer so dominated by the state apparatus is somewhat contentious.
Contribution received in 2010.
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Notes
- 1.
The UK government has been keen to downplay the fact this scheme is a database—hence the more recent designation Contactpoint—but Capgemini, the multinational corporation responsible for developing the system is less cagey and more plain speaking in its annual report: informing shareholders and other readers that it has succeeded in obtaining a £40 million contract to develop a ‘database assembling information on British citizens from birth to 18 years of age’ (Capgemini 2007, p. 60).
- 2.
See also Prisoners ‘to be chipped like dogs’ 2008.
- 3.
Electronic tags to track dementia patients 2007.
- 4.
See DNA register ‘labels children criminal’ 2008.
- 5.
See also ID cards may put poorer people at risk of fraud 2008.
- 6.
Lord’s Hansard, 24 May 2004, col. 1159. All future references to the contributions in the House of Lords’ Commitee Stage debate of the Children Bill in May 2004 will simply provide the name of the contributor and the relevant column (col.) in the House of Lords’ Hansard report.
- 7.
- 8.
See ID contractor denounced over data lose 2008.
- 9.
See Security fears prompt call for the scrapping of children’s database 2007.
- 10.
‘Baby Peter,’ a 17-month-old boy, died in August 2007 from severe injuries inflicted whilst he was in the care of his mother, her ‘boyfriend’ and a lodger in the household. In November 2008 two men were found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable person. The mother had already pleaded guilty to the same charge. Importantly, for Children’s Services, ‘Baby Peter’ had been subject to a child protection plan following concerns that he had been abused and neglected. Following the convictions, the death of ‘Baby Peter, the inadequate responses of child welfare professionals, began to dominate political and media discourses (see Garrett 2009c).
Abbreviations
- ACPO:
-
Association of Chief Police Officers
- CAF:
-
Common Assessment Form
- CCTV:
-
Closed Circuit Television
- CPd:
-
ContactPoint
- ECHR:
-
European Convention on Human Rights
- EM:
-
Electronic Monitoring
- GPS:
-
Global Positioning System
- ICO:
-
Information Commissioner’s Office
- ICT:
-
Information and Communications Technologies
- JCHR:
-
Joint Committee on Human Rights
- MORI:
-
Ipsos MORI’s Social Research Institute
- RFID:
-
Radio Frequency Identification
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Garrett, P.M. (2011). The Evolution of New Technologies of Surveillance in Children’s Services in England. In: van der Hof, S., Groothuis, M. (eds) Innovating Government. Information Technology and Law Series, vol 20. T.M.C. Asser Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-6704-731-9_10
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