Author Compares Surveillance in Hong Kong and Germany
Author Penny Prinz has investigated surveillance and repression in Hong Kong and its parallels in Germany. She argues that the vast amounts of data on the internet make repression more efficient.
Author and researcher Penny Prinz has released a new book comparing surveillance and political repression in Hong Kong with its counterparts in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. Prinz spent six months in Hong Kong observing the use of surveillance technologies and their impact on citizens.
Her research is linked to an ongoing doctoral dissertation that examines how the increase in police digital powers affects the relationship between law enforcement and the public. Prinz suggests that the massive data volumes on the internet, combined with advanced analysis software like Palantir, make repressive systems more efficient.
The author also highlights the situation in Germany, where legislation is facilitating the collection of biometric data through facial recognition technology. Prinz questions how governance models change when law enforcement's technological capabilities expand.
Prinz's dissertation specifically focuses on political activism in Germany and related charges concerning involvement in criminal organizations. She experienced firsthand the constant state of alert and anxiety that arises when living under pervasive surveillance.