In an age of invasive technology and mass data collection, how can we understand the true impact of surveillance on our lives and communities? Legacies of the Surveillance State offers a chilling exploration of two historical surveillance societies: East Germany and Northern Ireland during the 1970s and 1980s to provide a unique perspective on the human cost of surveillance.

Cliodhna Pierce delves into the chilling similarities in surveillance tactics used by these ideologically opposed regimes, revealing the profound and lasting consequences for those living under constant scrutiny. Through a comparative analysis and personal testimonies from those who lived through it, Pierce uncovers the mechanisms of control, the manipulation of information, and the chilling effects on individual liberties and community cohesion.

This book is a powerful reminder of the importance of vigilance in protecting our freedoms and a must-read for anyone concerned about the growing reach of surveillance in our modern world. It will appeal to scholars and students of surveillance studies, sociology, history, political science, policing and criminology, security studies, and science and technology studies.