electronic surveillance

American  

noun

1. surveillance or the gathering of information by surreptitious use of electronic devices, as in crime detection or espionage.

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electronic surveillance British  

noun

1. the use of such electronic devices as television monitors, video cameras, etc, to prevent burglary, shop lifting, break-ins, etc

2. monitoring events, conversations, etc, at a distance by electronic means, esp by such covert means as wiretapping or bugging

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Etymology

Origin of electronic surveillance

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

They couldn’t understand or anticipate that there would be things like cellphones and electronic surveillance.

From Salon

He proposes to protect the country’s border using electronic surveillance and digital controls and to criminalize illegal entry.

From The Wall Street Journal

A National Guardsman at an outpost scanned the terrain with electronic surveillance cameras.

From Los Angeles Times

I'm in possession of a document personally signed by J. Edgar Hoover authorizing electronic surveillance on my mother's apartment in Baltimore in 1950.

From Salon

The researchers used data on emergency room visits from an electronic surveillance program used by states and the federal government to detect the spread of diseases.

From New York Times