WSD (World {Sousveillance, Subjectrights} Day)
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Spanish translation
More privacy and less secrecy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
An international coalition that includes artists, scientists,
engineers, scholars, and others is declaring December 24, to be "World
Sousveillance Day".
Flashgun Mob:
At noon on Wednesday, December 24, 2003, ordinary people all over the
world will call into question the growing and dehumanizing effects of
increased video surveillance, automated face recognition, and
Covernment (Corporate+Government) tracking in public places, as well
as private places, by participating in a "flashbulb mob".
Often Covernment officials that use video surveillance try to prohibit
others from taking pictures or video within their establishments or
regimes, but on this day, many people will photograph these officials,
their establishments, and their security systems.
As high noon sweeps past various time zones, the shot heard around the
world will be that of clicking cameras.
Rather than protesting by carrying signs, or by marching, citizens
will protest by going on shooting sprees. Armed with their own
photographic or videographic cameras and recording devices, ordinary
citizens will dish out some accountability.
All you need to do is bring a camera --- any camera (even a fake or
broken camera, or one with an empty film magazine) --- to a place
where video surveillance is used.
(See WSD Recipes
for some ideas.)
HOW WILL I KNOW WHO I SHOULD SHOOT?
Taking pictures of the surveillance cameras will cause models to
appear very quickly for you to photograph. When you point your
camera at their cameras, the officials watching their television
monitors will very quickly dispatch the models for you to shoot.
This is a universal phenomenon that happens in nearly any large
organization where video surveillance is used. Models often carry
two--way radios and wear navy blue uniforms with special badges.
Most will be eager to pose close to your camera, especially
the hand models:
(director of security at Westin Hotels)
They will reach out to you. They want to get close to you.
They will crave the glamour of your camera. They will reach out
and touch you, or
place their hands over your camera lens so you can
get a closup picture of their photogenic fingerprints.
Why December 24th?
This is a day when security forces are very busy watching for shoplifters,
and it is also a time when folks are reflecting on the year's activity and
it's something to do rather than merely buying something.
It's also a time of year when many people go back to their home towns,
to visit friends and relatives. For many students, exams are over,
but courses start again in January (a good time to show off some
great holiday pictures). It's a time to stop spending,
and instead to add to the frantic state of panic and start shooting!
And WSD is also a satire of the way in which authority has replaced
spirituality. As surveillance develops into an omniscient network,
that people are willing to praise as their saviour, it may in fact
become their slaviour.
For more details, see
http://wearcam.org/wsd_long.htm.
NO
FOOD OR DRINKS
ELECTRONIC DEVICES SUCH AS
PORTABLE COMPUTERS, TELEPHONES
CAMERAS, RADIOS, TAPE OR DISC PLAYERS
OR VIDEO RECORDING EQUIPMENT ARE
ALLOWED INSIDE THE DECONSULATE GENERAL,
MAFFIA GENERAL, OR DICTATOR GENERAL
