Gavin J.D. Smith

Associate Professor Gavin J.D. Smith holds a position in the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, specializing in Sociology. He joined ANU in 2012 after roles as Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney and Lecturer at City University London. His academic credentials include a PhD in Sociology from the University of Aberdeen (2009), an MA in Sociology, and an MRes in Social Research Methods, also from Aberdeen.

Research Focus: Smith’s work bridges sociology and ecology, examining human-non-human relations. Key areas include surveillance practices (e.g., CCTV, facial recognition technologies) and snake ecology in Australia, focusing on Eastern brown snakes. He leads the When your face is your ID: Public responses to automated facial recognition (ARC Discovery Project 2020–2024) and co-leads The Surveillance and Everyday Life Research Group. His interdisciplinary approach spans privacy ethics, governance, and environmental studies.

Affiliations & Roles:

• Visiting Fellow, University of Edinburgh School of Social and Political Science
• Research Associate, Centre for Law, Justice and Journalism (City University London)
• International Research Associate, Centre for Business Information Ethics (Meiji University, Japan)
• Editor of Surveillance & Society
• Executive Board Member, Surveillance Studies Network

Grants & Collaborations: Collaborates on The New Transparency Project (SSHRC-funded) and participates in global research initiatives on big data surveillance. His work intersects with policy through media consultations on surveillance and security issues.

Labs/Teams: Active in the Surveillance Studies Centre (SSC) and contributes to projects like Screening Surveillance, a film series exploring privacy implications of surveillance technologies.