All Eyes And Ears: Exploring the Use of Technology in Securing Crowds

Crowds and crowded spaces are a fluid concept but they play an important role in security. Crowds can be a threat to security themselves or provide cover for criminal or hostile actors that are mixed in with unsuspecting citizens.

This article discusses the advances that have been made in the field of technological tools used to help secure crowds, whether they are predicted gatherings or spontaneously occurring. A distinction is made between the preparatory stages of security crowds (ante factum), the monitoring of crowds in real-time (in situ), and the use of technology in investigating and responding to a security incident that involves a crowded space (post factum).

Lastly, this article will highlight some of the more recent technological advancements in the field of securing crowds and the adverse effects some of those technologies can have on human rights.

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