Using surveillance technologies to prevent suicides in public spaces: ethical, legal, acceptable?
Conference paper
Mackenzie, J., Marsh, I., Cliffe, B., Joyner, L., George, C., Dark, A., Pharoah, R. and Marzano, L. 2025. Using surveillance technologies to prevent suicides in public spaces: ethical, legal, acceptable? George, C., Whitehouse, D. and Duquenoy, P. (ed.) MDX 2025 Health IT Workshop on Emerging Technologies in Healthcare: Legal, Ethical, Social & Governance Aspects. Middlesex University, London, UK 26 - 27 Jun 2025 Middlesex University. pp. 49-52
| Type | Conference paper |
|---|---|
| Title | Using surveillance technologies to prevent suicides in public spaces: ethical, legal, acceptable? |
| Authors | Mackenzie, J., Marsh, I., Cliffe, B., Joyner, L., George, C., Dark, A., Pharoah, R. and Marzano, L. |
| Abstract | Suicide is a global health problem, so understanding what types of prevention and interventions are effective in reducing suicides is essential. The potential for technologies to help reduce suicides and increase interventions in public spaces is a rapidly expanding field (e.g. closed circuit television (CCTV)) being activated when a person crosses a dangerous boundary. Yet, there is little evidence as to whether suicide surveillance technologies work in the way they are supposed to. Although surveillance in public spaces is not new, there are distinct challenges related to suicide prevention: for example, if smart surveillance identifies a person who may be suicidal, what happens next, who (if anyone) responds to them, and do potential responders have appropriate training? An added challenge is that some technologies are controversial (e.g. those that could be used to track people's movements). Hence, understanding their ethics, legality and acceptability are important. However, to date this is an under-explored topic. This position paper situates some of the ethical, legal and acceptability issues which specifically relate to the use of surveillance technologies in the field of suicide prevention. |
| Keywords | Suicide Prevention; Smart Surveillance Technologies; Suicide Surveillance Technologies |
| Sustainable Development Goals | 3 Good health and well-being |
| Middlesex University Theme | Health & Wellbeing |
| Research Group | Aspects of Law and Ethics Related to Technology group |
| Conference | MDX 2025 Health IT Workshop on Emerging Technologies in Healthcare: Legal, Ethical, Social & Governance Aspects |
| Page range | 49-52 |
| Proceedings Title | Proceedings of the MDX 2025 Health IT Workshop on Emerging Technologies in Healthcare: Legal, Ethical, Social & Governance Aspects |
| Editors | George, C., Whitehouse, D. and Duquenoy, P. |
| Publisher | Middlesex University |
| Copyright Year | 2025 |
| Publication dates | |
| Online | 21 Oct 2025 |
| Publication process dates | |
| Accepted | 10 Sep 2025 |
| Deposited | 24 Oct 2025 |
| Output status | Published |
| Accepted author manuscript | License File Access Level Open |
| Copyright Statement | © Middlesex University. This work is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed. |
| Web address (URL) of conference proceedings | https://doi.org/10.60528/2q6192 |
| Related Output | |
| Is part of | Proceedings of the MDX 2025 Health IT Workshop on Emerging Technologies in Healthcare: Legal, Ethical, Social & Governance Aspects |
| Language | English |
https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/2xw278
Download files
Accepted author manuscript
| Mackenzie-et al (2025).Using Surveillance Technologies to Prevent Suicides in Public Spaces.pdf | ||
| License: CC BY 4.0 | ||
| File access level: Open | ||
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