Measuring the Acceptability of Facial Recognition-Enabled Work Surveillance Cameras in the Public and Private Sector. Issue 1 (2nd January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Doberstein, Carey; Charbonneau, Étienne; Morin, Geneviève; Despatie, Sarah
• Is Part Of: Public performance & management review. Volume 45:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 198
• Page End: 227
• Publication Date: 2022-01-02
• Subjects: Facial recognition -- electronic performance monitoring -- privacy -- surveillance cameras -- work surveillance; Civil service -- Labor productivity -- Periodicals; Civil service -- Labor productivity -- United States -- Periodicals; Government productivity -- Periodicals; Government productivity -- United States -- Periodicals; Public administration -- Periodicals; Public administration -- United States -- Periodicals; Civil service -- Labor productivity; Government productivity; Public administration; United States; Periodicals; 351.05
• DOI: 10.1080/15309576.2021.1931374
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1530-9576

Abstract

Abstract: Electronic performance monitoring is expanding rapidly in public and private sector environments amidst evidence that when privacy concerns are raised by employees in arbitration and judicial proceedings, there is limited empirical foundation for what constitutes a reasonable expectation of privacy among everyday citizens. This study replicates and expands on Rainie and Duggan's U.S. study of the acceptability of facial recognition-enabled camera surveillance in the workplace with three separate Canadian survey sample populations. We find that private sector workers tolerate cameras in the workplace more than public sector workers and that the younger age cohort, for both private and public sector workers, is more likely to tolerate cameras in the workplace than the older cohort. Further, through analysis of qualitative comments among those ambivalent about camera surveillance at work, we find that concerns over transparency, safety and authoritarianism were the most frequent themes. These results point to the considerations employers must face for surveillance practices to be viewed as reasonable by employees in both public and private sectors.