Seeking Safety in Surveillance: The Dangers of Data Sharing During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This thesis reckons with the implications of health data sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic on surveillance architectures. By connecting public health surveillance to the growing literature on racialized surveillance, technological racism, and the role of race in medicine, I highlight how carceral apparati are expanded during public health emergencies, facilitated by the legal framework outlined in the third party doctrine. My thesis then explores the oppositional work of community organizations and grassroots activists on the ground in order to highlight ways we can resist the growing pandemic surveillance state.