Geosurveillance, Biometrics, and Resistance

Geosurveillance is continually evolving to achieve a wider reach and finer granularity. This thesis has two objectives: to understand (1) how biometric technologies could shape the evolution of geosurveillance, and (2) how we can begin resisting geosurveillance before this evolution occurs. The former is based on new second-generation biometrics, which analyze physiological traits, often wirelessly, to calculate stress levels, emotions, and health conditions. Because they work on the body itself from a distance, they hold the potential to both intensify and extend geosurveillance, making it more difficult to resist. The latter objective takes up this topic of resisting geosurveillance, which is otherwise absent within the geographical literature. It surveys tactics and strategies that would enable meaningful resistance to geosurveillance as it operates today. Finally, it concludes that both short-term tactics and long-term strategies are integral to resistance, but that biometrics will require a more strategic approach in the future.