“In the very near future, I guarantee that the pictures you post on social media will affect your credit rating, health and auto insurance policies, and much more. It will all happen automatically. In a very real way, our rights and freedoms will be modulated by our metadata signatures. What's at stake, obviously, is the future of the human race!”

American artist, geographer, and author

Trevor Paglen is an American artist, geographer, and author known for work that examines mass surveillance and data collection. His practice brings together art and research, with an interest in the hidden systems that shape how information is gathered, stored, and watched. He writes and makes work around these themes, focusing on the structures behind surveillance rather than their public surface.