La transparence administrative contre l’opacité des politiques de surveillance : Le recours systématique au droit d’accès aux documents administratifs comme méthode de collecte de données

Bocquet, Nicolas;de Buisseret Hardy, Emmanuelle;Debailleul, Corentin;Grosman, Jérémy;Roy, Laurent
(2025) Réseaux : communication - technologie - société — Vol. 251, n° 3, p. 179-218 (2025)

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Authors
  • Bocquet, Nicolasorcid-logoUCLouvain
    Author
  • de Buisseret Hardy, EmmanuelleLigue des droits humains
    Author
  • Debailleul, CorentinULB
    Author
  • Grosman, JérémyUNamur
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  • Roy, LaurentLigue des droits humains
    Author
Abstract
(en) Surveillance technologies have become omnipresent, yet they are still characterized by the seal of secrecy. This article assesses the relevance of the systematic use of Freedom of Information requests as a data collection method, in order to document the evolution of the surveillance infrastructure in French-speaking Belgium. The article discusses the internal factors (specific to the research team) and external factors (specific to the authorities solicited) that are likely to influence the level of administrative transparency. Our results reveal significant disparities in administrative transparency levels, depending on the type of administrative entity, the prevailing legal standards, the political orientation of the municipalities and their respective size. They also suggest that the use of Freedom of Information requests as a data collection method could serve as a valuable complement to surveillance case studies, contingent upon the availability of substantial human means. This article thus contributes to the ongoing debate on the use of Freedom of Information requests as an original data collection method for social science research purposes, particularly in the context of regalian sectors of public action where the culture of secrecy is relatively prevalent.
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Bocquet, N., de Buisseret Hardy, E., Debailleul, C., Grosman, J., & Roy, L. (2025). La transparence administrative contre l’opacité des politiques de surveillance : Le recours systématique au droit d’accès aux documents administratifs comme méthode de collecte de données. Réseaux : communication - technologie - société, 251(3), 179-218. https://doi.org/10.3917/res.251.0179 (Original work published 2025)