Task 1

Mobile phones are a good example of panopticism in modern society. A large percentage of the population have a contract mobile phone and once you sign a contract they have certain information about you

' This surveillance is based on a system of permanent registration' (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000:61) Once these companies have this information on you they can pass out your Name, Address, phone number, age, occupation etc. to authorities if they have liable cause that you are being involved or are involved in something illegal.

'He is seen, but he does not see; he is the object of information, never a subject in communication' (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000:65)

Although the end of this quote doesn't quite fit because 'he' is a subject in communication because a phone is a communication tool but the tool does make the user an object of information.

People may argue that you can get pay as you go phones which you don't need to sign a contract therefor no information on you has be logged but even then powers above us can listen in and find out where you are in the world through the signal and gps.

'Visibility is a trap' (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000:64)

Another way to view the panoptic nature of mobile phones is that, even though they are designed to communicate, they may actually be suppressing the level of communication.

'Exercising power over men, controlling their relations, of separating out their dangerous mixtures' (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000:62) Mobile phone conversations are only between two people which usually focuses on one point. So mobile phones could stop people getting together in large numbers and talking freely (with out a bill at the end) and thinking about new ideas which could be 'dangerous' for people in power.

Also each phone call is expensive, a poor man couldn't communicate with lots of people with out emptying his pocket therefore making the spoken word die out. 'It is an important mechanism, for it automatizes power' (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000:65). Most of the population have this mechanism and that means that automatically the government or any other organisation with enough power can find information on you, hear what you are seeing, see what you are saying (through text) and find out where you are.