"What is the Information Panopticon? Explain with reference to the use of ICT in the organization of work since the 80's."

ABSTRACT:

This article Discuses about Information Panopticon and enhances the knowledge by taking the example of surveillance of speeding vehicles by using of cameras by the police.

INTRODUCTION:

The information panopticon represents a form of centralized power that uses information and communication technology (ICT) as observational tools and control mechanisms

HISTORY:

Prisons were the nucleus of the present surveillance system. Prisons were built to confine “criminals” which were defined by their judiciary. These prisoners should be under scan every time,so surveillance was inevitable. Also to remove the dishonesty, idleness of human agents, the surveillance has even entered industries. Slowly it had entered “Discipline” needed educational institutions. Surveillance now have even entered reality shows for fun (Big Brother/Big Boss are shows where live in a house with no connection to the outside and surveillance is done by CCTV) .But the Surveillance technique can be used for something very important like preventing crime.

INFORMATION PANOPTICON:

The information panopticon represents a form of centralized power that uses information and communication technology (ICT) as observational tools and control mechanisms. English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham developed the original architecture of the panopitcon as a prison. The structure consisted of a centralized tower surrounded by a circular building divided into prison cells. Benthams concept was to maximize the number of prisoners that can be observed by one individual within the tower. Within The Information Panopticon, Zuboff uses the architectural strategies of the panopticon as a metaphor to describe how information systems translate, record, and display human behaviorwith a degree of illumation that would have exceeded even Benthams most outlandish fantasies. The information panopticon critiques how technological systems use transparency to assert power, control, and authority over users.

Inherent within many new technological and informational devices is the ability to network. Whether it is a personal computer or database systems, these applications often promote forms of interconnectivity that require a centralized control center . In early telecommunication experiments by inventors like Alexander Bell and Samuel Morse, the idea of transmission was essentially linear. A message was sent from one location to another, traveling down a wire. As innovation progressed, communication began to operate through various access nodes within a network. The physical locations of the switching and control centers began to operate in very similar ways to the central surveillance tower of the panopticon.

As these ICTs are introduced into the workplace, managers and employees are discovering the hierarchical risks within information authority. Zuboff explains that these information centers help managers in a workplace to revamp their methods of communication, invite feedback, listen, coach, facilitate, manage many objectives, encourage autonomy, provide vision .The engagements a manager previously dealt with in a face-to-face setting can now be administered through a system that operates in a ubiquitous way. In other words, technology can be used as a form of power that displays itself automatically and continuously

In a work setting, this method of control is different to that of the original panopticon because many ICT systems function as transparent architectures. The technological knowledge needed to understand how one is being surveyed is not as apparent as in Benthams prison. The techniques of control within informational and networked systems often appear pragmatic, immediate, and technical .This places the employees in a position of passive and obedient, where they no longer know or understand exactly how panoptic power is being enforced. Consequently, the administrative actions within the workplace can appear paranoid and non-specified approaches to security.

The responsibility of this technical authority does begin to question what ethical, social, and professional surveillance is acceptable in response to ICT technology in the workplace. Surveillance in the work place is not necessarily new; it has long been around in the form of corporate policy, collective behavior and social traditions. Zuboff describes how maintaining faith that undergirds imperative control is hard work psychologically demanding, time-consuming, and inevitably prone to ambiguity. The capacity of these surveillance systems will accomplish some goals, and create entirely new unresolved problems: what to do with all of this personal data? Similar to the Panoptic prison, the information panopticon does focus on creating a vulnerable, defenseless user. However, the employees are not prisoners, they are not without some sense of control, and certainly should question the business practices. The fight remains within the users, the employees, to not passively participate in surveillance but rather to actively place responsibility on management and administration to effectively organize. As ICTs continue to act as control mechanisms within the workplace, management should tirelessly redevelop systems that respond not only to power but also the emotional, the personal, and complexity of human behaviors.

EXAMPLE OF CAMERAS FOR SPEED CONTROL

Computering is used in speed cameras detecting the speed of a vehicle
it is either done by sending a laser or radar beam at the passing vehicle. The beam is then returned back to the speed camera equipment, providing an exact speed or by using loops in the road, if the passing vehicle drives too fast over the loops, the speed camera is triggered.
All methods involve technology and help the police force give speeding tickets to the people who have broken the speeding limit law.By the use of these cameras it is helping drivers realise they must slow down or their driving licenses will be taken, they will recieve points on their licence or they will recieve a fine which all helps decrease the chances of the speeding limit laws being broken.

BOTTOM LINE

Speed cameras mainly have benefits (catching speeding vehicles therefore reducing the number of people speeding in the future). This system helps the police because “we can observe more number of people at the same time and can punish more no.of law breakers” which was the priniciple or Jeremy Bentham’s architecture of prison to view more no.of prisoners by one observer and help police to “DOMINATE ” by making public’s traffic transparent by using cameras

B.Vamshi
EE09B104

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison