WSD (World {Sousveillance, Subjectrights} Day)
CALIFORNIA,
FLORIDA,
JAPAN,
TORONTO,
U.K.,
VANCOUVER,
Citizen Lab,
spyCAM awaREness proJECT,
WiReD article,
plastic.com,
word of the day,
Poindexter,
moblog,
Transparent
Cattlecars,
Critics,
Spanish translation
More privacy and less secrecy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INFO: http://wearcam.org/wsd.htm
Destruction of privacy and dignity by unaccountable organizations to become a
target of ordinary citizens.
An international coalition that includes artists, scientists, engineers,
scholars, and others is declaring
December 24, to be
"World Sousveillance Day",
or "World Subjectrights Day".
THE SHOT SEEN AROUND THE WORLD:
At noon on Tuesday, December 24, 2002, 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.
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, and shielded with
masks
or disguises, ordinary citizens will dish out some accountability
while remaining anonymous to the massive proliferation of face tracking
surveillance.
HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?
All you need to do is bring a disguise and a
camera --- any camera (even a fake or
maybe camera,
a broken camera, or one with an empty film magazine) --- to a place
where video surveillance is used.
HOW WILL I KNOW WHO I SHOULD SHOOT?
Taking pictures of the surveillance
cameras, or even just wearing a disguise,
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 police are very busy watching for shoplifters,
phone lines are very clogged, and communication is conjested.
It is a time also when folks are reflecting on the
year's activity and World Subjectright Day
will be something for people to think about over the holidays.
RATIONALE:
We are all accountable for our actions.
Covernment keeps us under surveillance, whether
we're just walking down the street, shopping, or sometimes
even when we're changing clothes in department store fitting rooms
(Phil Patton, Jan. '95, WiReD).
When we ask why we are under video surveillance, we are told by the
Covernment that
``only criminals are afraid of cameras'', or we are asked
``why are you so paranoid''. Now is the time to allow the Covernment to define
itself.
The camera is Hamlet's Mirror, allowing the Covernment to define
itself within a Reflectionist context.
View some of the contributions from the U.K. in previous years'
December 24th global protest against video surveillance
(WSD was originally called NAD
in 1998, and GAT in 1999.)
Florida site for
December 24th global protest against video surveillance
Security Doublespeak:
a contribution from Canada by Kent Nickerson.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
http://wearcam.org/wsd-faq.htm
You may also wish to
enter the PHOTO CONTEST
Spanish translation of this page