Quiz — Chapter 38: The Future of Surveillance

Total: 100 points.

Part A: Multiple Choice (3 points each)

1. "Predictive surveillance" differs from traditional reactive surveillance primarily in:

a) Using digital technology rather than human observers b) Being oriented toward forecasting future behavior rather than documenting past events c) Operating at national rather than local scale d) Being controlled by private companies rather than government agencies

2. The "algorithmic fairness impossibility theorem" demonstrates that:

a) No AI system can be made accurate enough to use in high-stakes surveillance contexts b) Several desirable definitions of algorithmic fairness cannot be simultaneously satisfied c) AI surveillance systems will always produce racially biased outputs regardless of training data d) The accuracy of AI surveillance systems decreases as the dataset size increases

3. Gait recognition represents an advance over facial recognition from a surveillance perspective primarily because:

a) It is more accurate than facial recognition across all demographic groups b) It is not subject to the same racial bias documented in facial recognition systems c) It is effective at greater distances and is not defeated by face coverings d) It has received legal approval for law enforcement use in more jurisdictions

4. The chapter's characterization of the Chinese social credit system notes that:

a) It is a unified, national system that rates all citizens on a single scale b) It does not exist outside of Western media mischaracterization c) It is a collection of overlapping systems at multiple levels, less unified than commonly described d) It is technically identical to the U.S. FICO credit scoring system

5. "Familial searching" in DNA databases refers to:

a) Law enforcement searching for DNA profiles that match family members who have submitted their DNA voluntarily b) Using a partial DNA match to identify relatives of the DNA owner, enabling investigation of people who never submitted their own DNA c) Creating a database of family DNA profiles for the purpose of tracking hereditary diseases d) Requiring family members of convicted criminals to submit DNA profiles to law enforcement databases

6. The concept of "ambient surveillance" refers to:

a) Surveillance conducted in outdoor environments using satellite and aerial imagery b) Surveillance of ambient sound through always-listening devices c) A condition in which recording and monitoring are continuous and ubiquitous across all environments d) The background surveillance infrastructure that individuals are unaware of at any given moment

7. Zuboff's concept of "behavioral surplus" applied to neural data would mean:

a) The excess neural activity that the brain generates beyond what is needed for a given task b) Neural patterns generated by BCI users that, aggregated across users, reveal correlations with subsequent behaviors and can be converted into predictive products c) The additional brain development that occurs when individuals use brain-computer interfaces over time d) The surplus of behavioral data that neural surveillance would make redundant

8. In the chapter's "Scenario C" (Democratic-Regulated path to 2050), the primary distinguishing feature is:

a) The complete elimination of surveillance technology from public spaces b) Government ownership and control of all surveillance infrastructure c) Surveillance operating within a framework of democratic governance with authorization, transparency, and meaningful challenge rights d) International treaties that prevent any country from developing surveillance technology above a certain capability threshold

9. The chapter's analysis of the "ambient surveillance assembly problem" identifies as problematic:

a) Individual surveillance devices that are each unacceptable in isolation b) The fact that each individual device seems acceptable, but devices collectively produce a surveillance condition that no one has chosen c) The inability of consumers to know which surveillance devices are present in their environment d) The technical incompatibility of different ambient surveillance systems with each other

Part B: True/False with Justification (4 points each)

10. True or False: The main concern about neural surveillance is that brain-computer interfaces are unlikely to become technically feasible within the next thirty years.

Briefly justify your answer (2–3 sentences).

11. True or False: AI surveillance systems that produce racially biased outputs will correct themselves over time as they are exposed to more data.

Briefly justify your answer (2–3 sentences).

12. True or False: The social credit logic described in the chapter is entirely absent from Western commercial societies.

Briefly justify your answer (2–3 sentences).

Part C: Short Answer (8 points each)

13. What is "bias amplification" in AI surveillance systems, and why does it represent a more serious problem than simply "bias" in the training data? How does the continuous learning mechanism interact with initial bias? (150–200 words)

14. The chapter uses Philip K. Dick's "Minority Report" as a "cautionary frame." Explain what the Minority Report scenario is designed to caution against. Then explain the chapter's argument that the Minority Report frame, while useful, is also "misleading" when applied to contemporary predictive surveillance systems. (150–200 words)

15. Jordan's 500-word piece argues that whether the surveillance landscape looks like Scenario A, B, or C in 2050 is a "choice" rather than an "inevitable technological unfolding." What does Jordan mean by this? Do you find this framing persuasive? Why or why not? (150–200 words)

Part D: Extended Response (choose one, 14 points)

16. The chapter identifies neural surveillance as "qualitatively different" from behavioral surveillance. Explain the distinction the chapter draws, evaluate whether it is morally significant, and discuss what it implies for the privacy frameworks we have developed throughout the course. Your response should engage with at least two of the book's five recurring themes. (300–400 words)

OR

17. Compare and contrast two of the biometric surveillance modalities discussed in the chapter (facial recognition, gait recognition, voice recognition, vascular biometrics, cardiac signature, DNA). For each: describe how it works at a conceptual level, identify its specific advantages over other biometric modalities from a surveillance perspective, identify its specific vulnerabilities or limitations, and assess its civil liberties implications. Then analyze what the combination of these two modalities would enable that neither alone would. (300–400 words)

Answer Key and Rubric available in Instructor Resources.