Defining the Sensor Society

Type Journal Article Author Mark Andrejevic Author Mark Burdon URL http://tvn.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/07/03/1527476414541552 Pages 1527476414541552 Publication Television & New Media ISSN 1527-4764, 1552-8316 Date 2014-07-11 Journal Abbr Television New Media DOI 10.1177/1527476414541552 Accessed 2015-01-21 19:47:02 Library Catalog tvn.sagepub.com Language en Abstract The proliferation of embedded and distributed sensors marks the increasing passive-ication of interactivity. Devices such as smart phones, cameras, drones, and a growing array of environmental sensors (both fixed and mobile) and interactive online platforms have come to permeate daily life in technologically equipped societies. Consequently, we are witnessing a shift from targeted, purposeful, and discrete forms of information collection to always-on, ubiquitous, opportunistic ever-expanding forms of data capture. The increased use of sensors marks important changes to our understandings of surveillance, information processing, and privacy. In this article, we explore the transformations associated with the emerging sensing environment. The notion of a sensor society provides a conceptual basis for understanding the characteristics of emerging forms of monitoring and control.