Border Surveillance and Public-Private Partnerships on the U.S.–Canada Digital Border: The Windsor–Detroit Corridor.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71068/ygcx9605Keywords:
border surveillance, public-private partnerships, digital border, Windsor–Detroit, technological securitizationAbstract
This article analysed the transformation of border control in North America as a process of reconfiguring territorial surveillance through digital infrastructures capable of observing, recording, and processing information in real time. The main objective was to examine how public-private partnerships contributed to consolidating border surveillance as a strategic economic sector in the Windsor–Detroit corridor. Methodologically, a qualitative approach was adopted, based on document analysis, the review of public contracts, and the mapping of key actors in the United States and Canada. The findings showed the central role of companies such as Perceptics LLC, Anduril Industries, and Nuctech Co. Ltd., which benefited from contracts for the development of vehicle recognition systems, autonomous monitoring, and advanced customs inspection technologies. Additionally, fragmentation of available information and limitations in terms of transparency and accountability were identified. It was concluded that the Windsor–Detroit corridor exemplified a form of territorial management in which surveillance operated as a space of interaction between public and private actors, articulating security interests, market logics, and technological decisions, thereby generating tensions around sovereignty, privacy, and democratic governance.
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