Transcript Location-Based Services & National Security

The Application of Critical
Social Theory to National
Security Research
Holly Tootell
University of Wollongong
Location-Based Services
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Scope for this research includes:
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RFID
GPS and GIS
Mobile service
LBS can be used to identify the location of an
information device, and in some instances
the whereabouts of the user who owns it
National Security
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Not just terrorism
Events of national security can include:
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National disasters: tsunami, earthquake
Border control
Transportation security
Critical infrastructure protection
Intelligence gathering
Emergency preparedness
LBS being used for national
security
Event
Location-Based Service
Border control
RFID – passive devices to denote ‘cleared vehicle’
GIS – Unmanned aerial vehicles for image
transmission
Natural Disaster RFID – to manage victim identification
GIS – to estimate damage and target areas
Terrorist attack
GPS – locating persons at attack site
CIP
GPS – to monitor potential threats to major
landmarks, buildings etc
Critical Health
Outbreaks
RFID – to monitor patients, staff and visitors to
hospitals during SARS
Mobiles – updates of affected areas
A Critical Approach
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Where interpretive researchers seek to
maintain the status quo (Walsham, 2005),
critical researchers seek to emancipate
subjects.
Particularly in critical IS research, the aim is
to expose attempts to
“design and (mis)use IS to deceive, manipulate,
exploit, dominate and disempower people.”
(Cecez-Kecmanovic, 2001).
Critical Social Theory
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The “primary objective of CST is the
improvement of the human condition”
(Ngwenyama, 1991).
The questioning of the neutrality of
technology is essential to understand the
social impact of new schemes.
Critical Social Theory
Qualitative
Research
Content
Analysis
Critica
l
Social
Theory
Case
Studies
Understanding
communication
perception
Lifeworld
knowledge for
background
information
Role of power
and bias
Systems
Acceptance and
deployment of LBS
national security
strategies
Informing
and
changing
Lifeworld
Technology
acceptance
Social implications
Privacy expectation
Methodological Approach adapted from Titscher et al 2000 and Cecez-Kecmanovic 2001
Integrating NS and CST
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In each of the national security technology
studies, a particular application of the
technology is examined, which allows for an
in-depth understanding of the system to occur,
But it does not examine the impact these
technologies can have when applied outside
the realm of national security application.
Content Analysis
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To uncover reactions and trends
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September 11
Bali Bombing
London Bombing
SARS
Preliminary results show a wave trend with key
points of interest
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Immediately
3 months
12 months
The Price of Security
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The Price of Security is a concept that will be
used to determine the trade-off that needs to
be made when a new location-based
technology is implemented as a solution to
national security
Complete CCTV in cities
Biometric identification for passports
Curb-to-curb surveillance
RFID implants
Conclusion
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What this research is proposing is a way of
understanding the impact LBS will have if
applied as solutions to national security
issues.
Questions?
Holly Tootell
School of IT and CS
University of Wollongong
PhD Research