Seeing Beyond the Ruins: Surveillance as a Response to Terrorist Threats

Following the September 11th terrorist attacks, the notion that "everything has changed" became a common theme. This paper argues that one of the most important areas of change occurred in the practice of surveillance. Utilizing news articles from the New York Times and Toronto Globe and Mail, we analyze the politics and social dynamics of contemporary surveillance. Our analysis is not a study of terrorism and September 11th per se, but rather uses the political reaction to September 11th to ground an examination of how surveillance policies and practices can paradoxically bring with them both an increased sense of security and a host of new dangers. We detail how September 11th provided a convenient opportunity for the security establishment to lobby for increased surveillance capacity, despite lingering questions about whether such devices can achieve their professed goals.