In the chapter “Coded Exposure: Is Visibility a Trap?” of Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code, Ruha Benjamin looks at privacy to mean “not only about protecting some things from view, but also about what is strategically exposed,” (p.#) especially when it comes to “already exposed people” (which in this case would be black and people of color). Benjamin brings in the South African gender studies scholar Gabeba Baderoon’s theory of privacy which includes the hidden, unpredictable, and unknown factors of “dominant views of history.” What is exposed is what should be looked at with “mutual respect and dignity,” especially in response to the violent surveillance culture that targets specific people. Privacy is then weaponized by those who lack access to it.

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Works Cited

Benjamin, Ruha. “Coded Exposure: Is Visibility a Trap.” Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code, Polity Press, 2019.