Surveillance gathers or observes information in ways that can alter power between people and institutions. Its ethics concerns purpose, necessity, proportionality, access, retention, and accountability. Data collected for care or convenience can become more consequential when combined with other records or transferred to a different setting.
Observation can change behavior even when no immediate penalty follows. People may hesitate to seek advice, associate, or revise their views if they expect every action to become part of a permanent record. Combining records also creates new inferences beyond the original disclosure. The ethical assessment therefore concerns the power created by collection and analysis, not only whether a camera or database is present. Purpose limitations and usable review can matter alongside accuracy.