EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE ON COMMUNITIES IN EAST GERMANY AND NORTHERN IRELAND IN THE 1970S AND 1980S

Year 2019, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 33 - 44, 01.12.2019

Cliodhna Pierce

Abstract

With the advent of the digital age, the world is at a surveillance crossroads; past tactics, such as wiretapping, are becoming obsolete. We are hurtling towards a world in which virtual information is accessed through covert data mining. Citizens have little or no protection from this intrusion, and moreover, little is known about the ways this information is used. The impact this will have on society and its influence on how we interact and communicate have yet to be determined.An historical look at the GDR and NI as examples of heavily monitored societies provides a unique perspective on the impact of surveillance. The main areas of focus will look at the impact on the citizen, the community, and the wider society. By undertaking a detailed examination of the literature and comparing how these two surveilled societies interacted during these periods of heavy surveillance, insight can be gained into the future impact on generations, living in the context of new advanced surveillance technologies.This paper will compare two surveillance states—East Germany, or the German Democratic Republic GDR , and Northern Ireland NI during the 70’s and 80’. With this historical context the aim is to examine the roles and impacts of surveillance operations on these two communities and constructing a detailed comparison between these two surveillance societies

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