Historically, media and communication technologies have been viewed as great forces for democracy and liberation and, on the other hand, mechanisms for surveillance and control. This course will examine new media and communication technologies – the Internet, mobile and wireless technologies – to investigate the ways in which they are being shaped as tools of openness and freedom while, at the same time, allowing for closure and captivity. How have some of the more controlling aspects been readily adopted into our home, offices, cities and spaces in a post 9/11 environment? How have socio-economic developments such as, for example, the drive for luxury real estate served to enforce the adoption of these technologies? What are the implications for privacy and security?