Books & ideas

A Panopticon for All

Julien Le Mauff — 2026-02-19T08:30:00Z

The rise of surveillance technologies is redefining the approach to security amid economic pressures. Wherever it is implemented, this surveillance, boosted by new technologies, raises the question of abuses that threaten civil liberties.

Tracing Apps to Fight Covid-19

Marine Al Dahdah & Mohammad Javed Alam — 2020-05-18T07:00:00Z

Tracing apps to prevent the spread of Covid-19 have been implemented in various Asian countries, and Europe is also considering their use. But is the data privacy risk worth taking? This essay proposes an overview of such technologies and questions their efficiency.

Governing by Technology in China

Émilie Frenkiel — 2020-05-11T07:00:00Z

Chinese society has been thoroughly transformed by digital tools, which private companies have developed for people to shop, chat, entertain themselves. The central and local governments have tried to keep up to date. Jesper Schlæger explains the intricacies of Chinese eGovernment.

On the Inquisition in America

Christian Ingrao — 2020-01-06T08:00:00Z

How does a democratic state manage to impose surveillance on its own population? Studying the case of the United States in the early 20^th century, the historian A. Rios-Bordes uses social science tools to deconstruct the mechanisms of control and mistrust.