Surveillance, De-Democratization and the Digital States of Exception: Cyprus, a Small State Surveillance-Post

The present chapter examines the threat of digital surveillance (including AI) in small states by conducting a case study analysis of Cyprus. We develop a theoretical and empirical framework that relates digital surveillance technologies with processes of power centralization, de-democratization, and the violation of rights in the context of debates pertaining to small states. We employ the notion of “digital states of exception” to designate technologies operating at the margins of legality or outside it, but that are nonetheless utilized by state or corporate actors for economic and political advantages. We relate these practices to the onslaught of AI technologies, which are increasingly fostering domains of automation, thus potentially proliferating the “digital states of exception.” We investigate the significance of Cyprus’ “digital states of exception” by empirically examining, in a paradigmatic fashion, a series of recent scandals, which situate Cyprus within a broader international nexus of digital surveillance. We argue that Cyprus’ “digital states of exception” are best understood in terms of a multifactorial configuration that is nested within local, regional and global socio-political dynamics. We argue that the particular small state problematic can be illuminating for broader issues pertaining to democratic theory.