Beginning of the dissertation: March 2017
Scheduled end of the dissertation: March 2021
Co-direction: Prof. Nicolas Nova (HEAD – Genève), Prof. Frédéric Kaplan (EPFL)
In his dissertation, Félicien Goguey focuses on the surveillance conducted on networks (Internet and mobile phones) by governments and on monitored areas and their users. Indeed, the new systems used by intelligence services redefine the areas of surveillance and raise new questions in that field of research, such as: What are these technical systems and what new challenges do they raise in a sociology of surveillance? How are they used and what imagery develops around them? How do these systems affect the way networks are used and the areas in which they are set up? How is the data collected used by such systems?
Based on the study of legal documents and catalogues of systems published by companies specialised in surveillance, Félicien Goguey aims to devise and develop a series of practical experiments in design that include interactive installations and the public in various venues at different times. Initially the experiment with these installations and systems aims to raise the awareness of individuals of the presence of these new forms of surveillance. Secondly, thanks to the analysis of the data collected from the user experiment, the complexity of interactions between users, networks, areas and surveillance can be further explored. Data acquisition is based directly on the systems developed as well as on interviews conducted with the public. The development of the installations and systems inevitably includes a share of speculation, given the discretion inherent to the field.
By revealing the usually imperceptible connections between monitoring devices and users, Félicien Goguey attempts through his dissertation to assess the degree of perception of such devices and their impact on network users and monitored areas.