Prefazione

[Autom. eng. transl.] of the volume The number of cameras with the aim of deterring criminality has strongly increased in our cities, so much so that we can say that video surveillance has become a generalized trend on an international level. Through a sociological approach, the author questions the aspects involved in the use of "electronic eyes", with particular reference to urban space, to the logic of control and simulation and, finally, to the risks of invasion of privacy. The volume also collects the main results of an empirical social research carried out in the city of Milan. The survey, one of the first of its kind in the national context, was focused on both operators of video surveillance and on citizens, and highlighted some critical issues concerning the use of this means of prevention. It is shown that a new "sociology of surveillance" could also develop in Italy, stimulating a scientific debate that has much to offer to the social sciences.