This is an interesting contrarian view on surveillance, of how singaporeans exploit it to produce a more harmonious society. It seems they are using it well, at

This is an interesting contrarian view on surveillance, of how singaporeans exploit it to produce a more harmonious society. It seems they are using it well, at least insofar you can trust the reporting, but the very existence of this infrastructure means it could be misused. In the same that an army that is meant to protect against foreign threats could be used to mount a coup, the surveillance meant to protect citizens could be used to enslave them instead. I guess full transparency would be the solution: be very clear about what is monitored, and why. The article is also insightful in that it goes over surface and vague considerations such as the law and privacy but dives into "the social contract" and culture as a whole. Interestingly, it seems that Singaporeans officials are very aware of these realities and are willing to adapt to the will or "mood" of the population. The articles makes them sound as much more capable than their occidental counterparts. One could probably argue that this is a result of the unique political stability of Singapore which leads to career public servants rather than politician whose sole concern is to get reelected and hold onto a shred of power for as long as they can. Still, to be taken with a big grain of salt.