Scholar

Torin Monahan

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Torin Monahan is co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Surveillance & Society, a former director of the Surveillance Studies Network, and a… more

H-index: 31
Political science 41%
Sociology 25%
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan

jathansadowski.com
What an unsurprising decision by corporations that desperately need to make money with AI. If every other company with a chatbot isn't already doing this, then expect them to be following Meta's lead soon. The chatbot is not your friend; it's a corporate listening device. www.ft.com/content/22f7...
Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour. https://www.ft.com/content/22f7afc3-8ac0-4ca1-9877-fd3f8ddcc986?desktop=true&segmentId=7c8f09b9-9b61-4fbb-9430-9208a9e233c8#myft:notification:daily-email:content Meta will use conversations people have with its chatbots to personalise advertising and content across its platforms, in a sign of how tech companies plan to make money from artificial intelligence. The owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp on Wednesday said it would use the content of chats with its Meta AI to create advertising recommendations across its suite of apps. “People will already expect that their Meta AI interactions are being used for these personalisation purposes,” said Christy Harris, privacy and data policy manager at Meta.
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by Torin Monahan

torinmonahan.bsky.social
In my experience, climate committed youth are especially unaware of the impact meat eating has on the planet.

“Food and agriculture contribute one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions – second only to the burning of fossil fuels.”

#vegetarianism
Meat is a leading emissions source – but few outlets report on it, analysis finds
Sentient Media reveals less than 4% of climate news stories mention animal agriculture as source of carbon emissions
www.theguardian.com
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by Torin Monahan

torinmonahan.bsky.social
Quite disturbing unlawful collection of DNA by CBP.
US border patrol collected DNA from thousands of US citizens for years, data shows
CBP officers took DNA samples from about 2,000 citizens, some as young as 14 and many who never faced criminal charges, new analysis shows
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan

emilymbender.bsky.social
Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000 Episode 62

www.buzzsprout.com/2126417/epis...

Come to hear @mharrisondupre.bsky.social , @alexhanna.bsky.social and I dismantle the misplaced enthusiasm for chatbots in therapy, stay for the literal word sausages.
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by Torin Monahan

torinmonahan.bsky.social
Surveillance functions in anticipatory and reactive modalities: 1) to preemptively interrupt pro-Palestinian speech; 2) to punish and terrorize individuals for their expressions of dissent.

tinyurl.com/4fr95zxy
View of Silencing Dissent: Surveillance and Police Actions on University Campuses during Pro-Palestinian Protests
tinyurl.com

by Torin Monahan

torinmonahan.bsky.social
In my latest piece in Surveillance & Society, I investigate #Colombia University’s police crackdown on protesters; #UCLA’s tolerance for terror inflicted by vigilante counterprotesters; and the broader punishment and dismissal of professors voicing criticism of Israel’s war in #Gaza.
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by Torin Monahan

torinmonahan.bsky.social
🚨New Publication Alert: “Silencing Dissent: Surveillance and Police Actions on University Campuses during Pro-Palestinian Protests” 🚨

This article explores #surveillance, #violence, and #dissent on university campuses in the United States.

tinyurl.com/4fr95zxy
Screenshot of Surveillance & Society article: "Silencing Dissent: Surveillance and Police Actions on University Campuses during Pro-Palestinian Protests"
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan, Göran Bolin, David Murakami Wood

survstudiesnet.bsky.social
Surveillance & Society has published a great new issue—w/ articles on data leaks, ceasefire monitoring, campus #protests, & much more! The journal is always fully #openaccess.

Check it out, and please spread the word: ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/su...
Three police officers standing in front of Gaza solidarity encampment tents at Columbia University. (Photo credit: Wm3214 via Wikimedia Commons.)
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan

sandiegotrust.bsky.social
Flock lied to cities and it has come out that federal immigration agents had direct access to Flock's networks. www.9news.com/article/news...
www.9news.com
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan, Timnit Gebru, Suresh Venkatasubramanian , and 5 more

kashhill.bsky.social
Why publish one story about A.I. gone wrong when you can publish two?

Here's my other story today on how the NYPD used facial recognition tech to arrest the wrong man for public lewdness.

The perp was 5'6''. Cops charged Trevis Williams, who is 6'2''.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/n...
How the N.Y.P.D.’s Facial Recognition Tool Landed the Wrong Man in Jail
www.nytimes.com
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by Torin Monahan

torinmonahan.bsky.social
I'm absolutely going to assign this when I teach my "Technology & Social Justice" course next, most likely in the Spring. The critique is spot on, and the examples are perfectly colorful and outrageous. Thanks for writing this book!
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by Torin Monahan

torinmonahan.bsky.social
Paul Lynch’s _Prophet Song_ is an absolutely devastating novel that really got under my skin. It convincingly depicts a gradual slide into #totalitarianism, but on an intimate, human level. @ubisurv.net, if you haven’t read this one, I’m pretty sure you would like it.
Cover of Paul Lynch's novel Prophet Song.
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan

oaklandabosol.bsky.social
OPD is attempting to expand its surveillance system to be able to easily integrate footage from public and private security cameras into one centralized database under the Flock system, a massive AI-powered tracking system that has been metastasizing across the country in the past two years.
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Simple clip-art style graphic, black line drawing of a hand poking a surveillance camera in the lens and breaking it.
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by Torin Monahan

torinmonahan.bsky.social
[Publication Alert]: "Leaving Academia: Dual-Career Relationships and Partners’ Attrition from Academic Careers"

22% of aspiring academics who have an academic partner end up leaving academia. Women are most impacted. That's a lot of attrition! #openaccess

www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10....
Leaving Academia: Dual-Career Relationships and Partners’ Attrition from Academic Careers | Women's Health Reports
Background: More than one third of academics are coupled with another academic, with more women being in such dual-career relationships. Little is known about how these couples’ experiences affect the...
www.liebertpub.com
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by Torin Monahan

torinmonahan.bsky.social
“Is it surprising that Trump’s stormtroopers are acting with impunity? [No.] But is it shocking to see a man—someone’s family member, someone’s friend, someone’s neighbor—being brutalized by agents who are fully aware they’re being watched and recorded? Yes. And I hope it remains shocking.”
marisakabas.bsky.social
Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · Aug 16
New — I wrote about the violent assault on a DC delivery worker this morning by masked federal agents, and how these agents have made the disturbing turn from quiet thugs to playing for the cameras.
Federal agent during violent DC arrest: “Liberals already ruined” this country
Trump's thugs are proving their skull-bashing loyalty in broad daylight.
www.thehandbasket.co

Reposted by: Torin Monahan, Reece Jones, Marc Lynch , and 9 more

marisakabas.bsky.social
New — I wrote about the violent assault on a DC delivery worker this morning by masked federal agents, and how these agents have made the disturbing turn from quiet thugs to playing for the cameras.
Federal agent during violent DC arrest: “Liberals already ruined” this country
Trump's thugs are proving their skull-bashing loyalty in broad daylight.
www.thehandbasket.co
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan, Elizabeth Sharrow, South África , and 14 more

annakornbluh.bsky.social
teachers!

excited to share a new website at this late date of Aug 15 to try to help us collectively prepare for back to school in the interpretative humanities classroom assaulted by the AI grift, so we don't have to go it alone.

take a look, share, + most importantly: CONTRIBUTE
against-a-i.com
AGAINST AI
against-a-i.com
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan, Tama Leaver

melhogan.bsky.social
I feel very lucky to have gotten a chance to talk about “AI” with @emilymbender.bsky.social and @alexhanna.bsky.social — authors of The AI Con.

Enjoy the episode!

pca.st/episode/ee9c...
Con, with Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna
pca.st
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan, David Murakami Wood

survstudiesnet.bsky.social
The Surveillance Studies Network (SSN) invites nominations (including self-nominations) for its 2026 Arts Prize. The deadline for receipt of nominations is August 15th, 2025.
ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/su...
SSN Arts Prize description text.
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan

survstudiesnet.bsky.social
The Surveillance Studies Network (SSN) invites nominations (including self-nominations) for the annual Surveillance Studies Book Award. The deadline for receipt of books from the publisher is October 15th, 2025.
ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/su...
SSN Book Prize summary text.
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan, Fabián Muniesa, Brian Keegan

puellaludens.bsky.social
Very excited to share this workshop I'm helping to host on August 19: "From Tech Lash To Tech Fash: Strategic reflections on a decade of collective organizing in computing"
tech-organizing-reflections.github.io
a simple, dark green flier with a bold, white text header: From Tech Lash To Tech Fash: Strategic reflections on a decade of collective organizing in computing The flier includes the following text and details: Hybrid Workshop @ Aarhus - Tuesday August 19, 8:30–11:30 am EST / 2:30–5:30 pm CEST Computing is a field plagued with presentism, oriented towards the new in ways that limit our design and research practices - as well as our capacity to understand and collectively respond to emerging crises. To improve our sensemaking and strategizing about today's crises, this workshop explores what Tamara Kneese has deemed the last decade's shift from "techlash" to "tech fash". What have we learned from the era of misinformation and bias, of "surveillance capitalism" and tech worker organizing that can inform our struggle against the increasing power of a techno-fascist oligarchy? We will also look towards previous generations of computing professionals and activists, who likewise sought to address the harms of emerging automated systems and the complicity of computing within violent, imperialist projects. This workshop will create space for participants to explore these questions collectively, bridging past and present moments in an effort to devise strategies moving forward. RSVP by Aug 12 https://tech-organizing-reflections.github.io/
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan

survstudiesnet.bsky.social
📢 Our latest blog post is live!

'Anyone Who’s Watching Can See That You’re Watching, Too' by @corinnejones.bsky.social - about the relationship b/w #consumption, #visibility labours, & social media’s #surveillance economy.

Find this & our other great contributions here: medium.com/surveillance...
Anyone Who’s Watching Can See That You’re Watching, Too
In this post, Corinne Jones reflects on her article ‘“Anyone Who’s Watching Can See That You’re Watching, Too”: A Case Study of Prosumption…
medium.com
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan, Paul R. Bierman, Elena Litchman , and 1 more

carlzimmer.com
National Science Foundation staff were notified that their office space will be taken over by Department of Housing and Urban Development. It's unclear where the 1,800+ NSF employees will work. Renovation plans apparently include a personal gym for the HUD secretary & family eos.org/research-and...
National Science Foundation Staff Booted From Headquarters - Eos
Staff at the National Science Foundation (NSF) were notified on 25 June that the agency’s office space, located in Alexandria, Va., will be taken over by Department of Housing and Urban Development (H...
eos.org
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan

jathansadowski.com
In the new TMK, we dive into a secret partnership between the New Orleans Police Department and Project NOLA, a private organisation that owns and operates an extensive network of facial recognition cameras covering New Orleans and running live analysis on the public.
soundcloud.com/thismachinek...
411. Big Easy’s Big Brother
We get into a secret partnership between the New Orleans Police Department and Project NOLA, a private nonprofit organisation that owns and operates an extensive network of cameras blanketing New Orle
soundcloud.com
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan

survstudiesnet.bsky.social
PUBLISHED: New open issue of Surveillance & Society with articles on #desire, student tracking, #Tesla data collection, #surveillance #art, workplace surveillance, and urban “data walks.” The journal is always fully #openaccess.

Check it out, and please spread the word: tinyurl.com/9c473scz
Map of USA showing automated license plate reader (ALPR) networks. From flock.ajith.fyi.
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan

4sonline.bsky.social
We're retiring this duplicate account. You can find more official posts here: @4sweb.bsky.social See you over there! Or on LinkedIn or X.
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan, Suzana J. Camargo, Tomasz Mickiewicz , and 5 more

evangreer.bsky.social
The Minnesota shooter apparently used data broker websites to find the home addresses of the people he shot and murdered.

Congress has had years to do something about data brokers and they've sided with the tech lobby over and over again.

Their inaction is deadly.
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan

emilymbender.bsky.social
For everyone who was sad to miss it, the recording of the Data & Society event about THE AI CON (me and @alexhanna.bsky.social) and EMPIRE OF AI (@karenhao.bsky.social) moderated by @tamigraph.bsky.social is now online!

datasociety.net/events/chall...
Challenging AI Hype and Tech Industry Power
“I think it’s very important to maintain that refusal is an option.” – Emily M. Bender “AI is not inevitable. AI – as it is constructed right now – is, I think, fundamentally anti-democratic.” – Alex ...
datasociety.net
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Reposted by: Torin Monahan

404media.co
Feds Flew Predator Drones Over LA Protests

🔗 www.404media.co/dhs-flew-pre...
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by Torin Monahan

torinmonahan.bsky.social
Such deployments of the #surveillance state are similar to Iran’s heavy-handed tactics to crush dissent, as @azadehakbari.bsky.social‬ has written about. Glad to see @mguariglia.bsky.social‬’s incisive critique in this piece.
An LAPD helicopter claimed to have ID'ed protesters from above and threatened to "come to your house"
The practice, an expert warns, could lead to "reprisals and retribution by the police for your politics.”
www.motherjones.com
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References

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