The original post: /r/privacy by /u/cheese9254 on 2024-05-27 21:07:04.

I’m a graduate student trying to decide on a focused topic for my dissertation in the area of state surveillance and data privacy laws. While my central theme and initial idea was looking at China’s social credit system, I feel it may be too broad.

I’d love to hear suggestions on potential niche and lesser-known cases, initiatives, or real-world examples I could concentrate my research on related to:

• Other national “social credit” type systems beyond China’s
• Controversial government surveillance programs
• Privacy concerns around national ID/biometric databases
• Emerging technologies enabling surveillance (facial recognition, smart devices, etc.)
• Exploitative data practices in the advertising/tech industry
• Or any other unique angles related to state surveillance and citizen data privacy

Specific examples from various countries/regions would be really helpful to explore topics that haven’t received as much attention. I’m looking for a unique angle to study that could make an original contribution.