Disappearing citizenship: Surveillance and the state of exception

Abstract

Surveillance is an ancient concept and an ancient practice. As such, we must undertake a theoretical examination of surveillance that looks at the changes in the function of surveillance within a juridical-political model, rather than superficially studying the nature of surveillance mechanisms. What emerges is a surveillance system that is fundamentally biopolitical and is in many ways - as a defining ‘modern’ characteristic - the reason for a permanent state of exception and the loss of rights and citizenship.