ABSTRACT
The growth of surveillance studies within multiple disciplines and its increasing importance in policy-making and governance has occurred to some degree as a function of the concerted efforts by researchers in the field. However, at times, the singularity of the concept of surveillance and its ever-expanding role and importance as that which ties diverse interests together has overshadowed the multiplicity and differentiation of surveillance practices. The degree to which the CCTV practices of police agencies are comparable to social networking ‘surveillance’ for instance, or to national ID cards, workplace monitoring, or electronic patient records — is not always apparent.
