Abstract

This chapter looks at the role of technology in the battle against terrorism. Technology was quickly identified as such a potential ‘silver bullet’ following the 9/11 event. This showed that border controls alone are insufficient to prevent terrorist incidents. Technology was able to help with biometrics, data mining, and acquisition to identify terrorists posing as regular citizens. While technology is undeniably useful, it is not fool proof. The chapter uses facial recognition software to illustrate issues with technology. This type of software often comes up with false positives and biases against minority groups. The chapter also raises issues of privacy and civil liberties while referencing the Pegasus spyware scandal as an example.