Panopticon

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), a Utilitarian philosopher, proposed a model prison he called The Panopticon ('all-seeing'). A round-the-clock surveillance machine, its design ensured that no prisoner could ever see the 'inspector' who conducted surveillance. The prisoner could never know when he was being surveilled -- mental uncertainty that in itself would prove to be a crucial instrument of discipline.
With electronic tagging of workers in the UK, we move one step closer. Report here.