Les implications démocratiques de l’adoption de la vidéosurveillance (algorithmique) en milieu urbain : une analyse comparative de Bruxelles et de Genève

Bocquet, Nicolas;Debailleul, Corentin;Rihoux, Benoît;Pieret, Julien
(2025) Réunion de lancement avec comité d’accompagnement — Location: Université libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles (3.October.2025)

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(en) The democratic implications of adopting (algorithmic) video surveillance in urban areas: a comparative analysis of Brussels and Geneva. Since the 1990s, the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) has led to a proliferation of surveillance devices in the public space, which are now increasingly associated with algorithmic analysis. Despite the significant democratic implications of the use of these tools, we know little about the adoption process itself, which in particular undermines the legitimacy of the decision-making process. The DemoTech project therefore aims to explore the adoption process of ICT surveillance policy instruments in urban areas. DemoTech focuses on the technology most widely deployed in public space: (algorithmic) video surveillance (AVS). By comparing 38 municipalities in Belgium and Switzerland, the project asks the following research questions: (Q1) Which key combinations of factors influence the level of AVS adoption in urban areas? (Q2) Which key combinations of factors influence the level of transparency regarding AVS adoption? (Q3) What are the democratic implications of the key combinations of factors identified with Q1 and Q2? To do this, DemoTech bridges the literatures of public policy analysis, science, technology and society (STS) and urban studies. The analysis is organised in three successive and interdependent stages: (1) the collection of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and documentary analysis covering the 38 municipalities studied; (2) a comparative qualitative analysis (QCA) based on the results of stage 1; (3) in-depth case studies (combining process tracing and stakeholder interviews) in four municipalities selected on the basis of the QCA results. DemoTech's contribution is threefold. Theoretically, it aims to bridge the gap between policy and STS literatures; methodologically, it develops an innovative mixed-method design; empirically, it will provide a better understanding of the democratic implications of the adoption of surveillance technologies in public space.
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Bocquet, N., & Debailleul, C. (2025). Les implications démocratiques de l’adoption de la vidéosurveillance (algorithmique) en milieu urbain : une analyse comparative de Bruxelles et de Genève. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/268680