Special Report: The Surveillance Society
By: Jonathan Athens, KARK 4 News
Updated: November 16, 2012
Joan Barnes is a busy North Little Rock Mom. Before she heads out the door on errands, companies are already collecting data on her...when she checks her email on her laptop and makes cellphone calls.
KARK followed her in the course of her typical day to document how many instances she was being spotted by camera and data was collected during her transactions.
"I guess if I ever went missing, people could retrace my steps," Barnes laughed when she recounted how many instances we found where she was being watched.
In a span of just four hours, at seven different locations, there was always a camera of some type watching her--from the doctor's office where she took her kids for a check up to the daycare center to a craft shop.
Have we turned into a total surveillance society?
UALR Sociologist Jerry Richard says no. It's just the sign of the times.
"This is part of the communication revolution...it's certainly not going to change in the future," Richard said, adding he thinks there will be more cameras and more data collection as technology develops.
KARK followed her in the course of her typical day to document how many instances she was being spotted by camera and data was collected during her transactions.
"I guess if I ever went missing, people could retrace my steps," Barnes laughed when she recounted how many instances we found where she was being watched.
In a span of just four hours, at seven different locations, there was always a camera of some type watching her--from the doctor's office where she took her kids for a check up to the daycare center to a craft shop.
Have we turned into a total surveillance society?
UALR Sociologist Jerry Richard says no. It's just the sign of the times.
"This is part of the communication revolution...it's certainly not going to change in the future," Richard said, adding he thinks there will be more cameras and more data collection as technology develops.
