The word surveillance comes from the French verb “surveiller”, which, when translated, means “to watch over”. ^[1] Sociologist and surveillance scholar David Lyon defines surveillance as “any collection and processing of personal data, whether identifiable or not, for the purposes of influencing or managing those whose data have been garnered”. ^[2] Increasingly, information gathering and surveillance technologies are becoming more and more common as part of everyday life and routines. ^[3]

There is a common misconception that youth are not concerned with privacy. On the contrary, though, there is significant evidence to suggest that privacy is a major concern among youth, particularly when it comes to their actions online. ^[1] As a result of this concern, young Canadians have developed a wide range of techniques to resist surveillance or negotiate their own privacy.