Rails Basic

Introduction

Lesson Overview

Mini-Lecture: Surveillance Systems as Networks (10 minutes)

Hardware:

Cameras, microphones, facial recognition scanners, license plate readers.
These are the “eyes and ears” of the state. They collect the data.

Software:

Algorithms, AI, database management, monitoring platforms (like the ones built by firms like Sandvine).
This is the “brain” of the state. It processes the data to identify, track, and predict behavior.

Network:

The infrastructure that connects the hardware to the software.
Without a network, a camera is just a plastic box. With a network, it’s a node in a control system.

Phase 01

Hardware vs Software

Group

Student Activity Block

“Match the Hardware to the Function” (15 minutes)

Give students a list of surveillance tools and ask them to categorize them as Hardware or Software.

Discussion Question: Which is more dangerous—the hardware or the software? Why?

Phase 02

Deep Packet Inspection

Case Study: Iran’s Monitoring Tools (12 minutes)

Explain how Iran uses Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to monitor citizen communications.

Deep Packet Inspection: A method of examining the content of data as it passes through a network.

Reality Check: It allows the state to see not just where a message is going, but what it says (if not encrypted).

Firm Highlight: Sandvine (a Canadian firm) was accused of providing the software used by the Iranian government to censor the internet and track dissenters.

Phase 03

Ethical Questions

Discussion Question

Ethical Questions (8 minutes)

Should companies be allowed to sell surveillance software to governments with poor human rights records?

Is it the responsibility of the firm (like Sandvine) or the government to ensure tools aren't abused?

If you lived in a country with this level of monitoring, how would you change your online behavior?

Iran Monitoring Civilians