The panopticon automatically collects information about subjects. It is its reason for existence; to observe and collect information. Light, gaze, collection of individualising and normalising information.

The surveillance of a specific blog is not automatic. An institution must make some form of assumption about sovereignty over that which is potentially contained within any and all blogs. This assumption leads to a surveillance of everything on the Internet in the hope of detecting the presence of words that match keywords or watchwords, for example the names of their products or that of their key executives. Delanda calls this observation of all the Panspectron. On the appearance of a keyword or watchword match, then, and only then, is the subject of specific surveillance formed. Until such time as a subject is formed panoptic surveillance does not exist but rather it exists in potentia.

De Landa proposes the concept of the Panspectron (p. 206). Whilst referring to Bentham’s Panopticon, which is he points out, a powerful tool for political and societal control through the perception of continuous surveillance, he suggest the Panspectron gathers all the available information about all subjects all of the time. Through a systems of filters and key word matching matters of interest are identified and this results in the subject being brought into focus.

Put this in a modern context and we have the system of robots (bots) employed by search engines that continually search the internet, reporting their findings of information and information linkages back to central points. Data is then analysed through a system of algorithms, such as Google’s Page Rank system and this results in the searches we use today. It’s only when someone searches (employees the Panspectron’s keywords and filters) does the relevant data appear.

Tactical memory: The politics of openness in the construction of memory by Sandra Braman
In this at times meandering article from First Monday, it is proposed that, whilst the Panopticon was, and still is, a powerful way to imagine spaces of discipline, it is the Panspectron that turns today’s environment of open information into an always-on surveillance machine. The article suggests that openness of information leads to all of the world’s information being gathered and analysed all of the time; and it is not until a query is made that a subject is brought into being.

This concept gives us pause for reflection in that whilst intuitively, open information appears to be a noble end in and of itself, as we consider the ways this information can be used as a tool of mass surveillance, participation in this information love-in appears much less appealing. This is particularly the case when we consider that the gathering and analysing of information is being conducted by both government and big business, neither of whom have a great track record in the protection of libertarian values.

Best I being careful what I write.