The Surveillant Reflex: Political Threat and the Market Expansion of Home Surveillance
How does political conflict shape consumer demand for surveillance technologies? Using purchasing histories from a nationally representative consumer panel, I estimate the effects of nearby Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests on the adoption of home surveillance devices. I find that proximity to sustained BLM protest activity increases the hazard of adopting home surveillance devices, but that this effect is considerably stronger in Republican counties. I theorize this pattern as protective polarization, where partisan identity shapes the interpretation of a protest as grievance or threat. In this case, BLM protests generated consumer demand for monitoring technologies among politically opposed populations. Social movements can create demand in consumer markets not only by mobilizing sympathetic consumers but also by provoking protective responses among those who view the movement as a threat. The adoption of these technologies may further entrench surveillance in private everyday life, leading to more personal monitoring and diminished privacy.