Source: Craphound

In the history of the United States, national crises often evoke hysteria, paranoia and fear among Americans. Consequently, the government’s response often entails increased surveillance and tracking of American citizens to protect national security. Surveillance is the act of tracking and monitoring individuals or areas; individual tracking is a subset of surveillance that is person-centric and is much more subject to controversy. While it can prove advantageous, individual tracking often infringes upon privacy and is subject to both legal and ethical scrutiny. The government’s methods of surveillance and tracking are not always ethical, and may even infringe on the constitutional rights of Americans. For instance, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt signed an executive order sending Japanese Americans into internment camps. More recently, after the September 11th attacks, President Bush signed the USA PATRIOT Act, which many have argued to be a breach of privacy and unconstitutional.

Cory Doctrow’s novel “Little Brother” addresses the issue of increased surveillance and tracking in the face of a national crisis. The novel follows four intelligent and tech-savy high school students who are detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after a terrorist attack on the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. After intensive questioning, the teenagers are released into a society with increased surveillance. However, Doctorow’s novel shows that infringing on privacy, detaining and interrogating innocent citizens is unsuccessful in identifying who is responsible for the terrorist attack. Throughout “Little Brother,” there are various methods the government uses to increase surveillance. This parallels our society’s recent introduction of wiretapping, facial recognition, and RFID tracking chips for students in some American schools. Using Doctorow’s “Little Brother” as a framework, this website will discuss the advantages, disadvantages, ethical and legal implications of increased surveillance and tracking of individuals in our society.