TOWARDS A SURVEILLANCE SOCIETY

The paper deals with the issues of data gathering, surveillance and intense use of targeted messages in contemporary living space shaped by technology and by the capitalist view of the world. Those who possess a relevant knowledge about others, possess a power over them, and they can use and abuse this power in various ways. Intense data gathering, observations and surveillance facilitate the manipulation of people and allow the real holders of power to shape the social reality in the ways that serve their interests, but which can easily lead to a totalitarian society. Totalitarian systems used to be imposed by states and by religious organizations, and they were based on political ideologies or religious dogmas. Using the power of technology, contemporary capitalism has been creating a new business civilization which nominally promotes openness and freedom, but which shows clear totalitarian tendencies. The paper puts forward a series of critical reflections related to these issue