The Biopolitical Justification for Geosurveillance

Abstract

Biopolitical use of geosurveillance can create and sustain a politics of fear. Although the majority of surveillance literature focuses on individuals, in this article I focus on groups and populations, drawing on Michel Foucault's analysis of biopolitics. After discussing the forms and history of geosurveillance I argue that three particularly important factors contribute to these politics: divisions, geospatial technologies, and the risk‐based society. In order to combat the negative unintended consequences of these factors I suggest that more attention be paid to the mutual relationships between geospatial technology and politics, rather than on assessments of the value of individual surveillant technologies.

• biopolitics
• fear
• geosurveillance
• 9/11

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jeremy W. Crampton

Dr. Crampton is an associate professor of geography at Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.