WASHINGTON, July 16 — The term “surveillance capitalism” has moved from academic circles into mainstream debate, describing a system where personal data is collected and commodified by corporations. The concept, laid out by scholar Shoshana Zuboff, describes the widespread collection and commodification of personal data by corporations. It is distinct from government surveillance, though the two can be mutually reinforcing.
The driving force here is profit. The model took off when advertising companies, led by Google’s AdWords, realized the potential of using personal data to target consumers more precisely.
How it works in practice
In plain terms, surveillance capitalism thrives on expanding the share of social life that is open to data collection and data processing. The economic pressures of capitalism are pushing for more online connection and monitoring, with spaces of social life opening up to saturation by corporate actors. Their goals: making profits and regulating behavior.
One concrete example: equipment that pretends to be legitimate cell telephone towers can track and monitor private persons in public spaces. That data is then sold to various entities.
This isn’t to say increased data collection has no benefits. Individuals can use it for self-optimization — the so-called “quantified self” movement. Society can benefit from optimizations like smart cities.
And web applications can offer optimized services.
The vulnerability trade-off
The implications for ordinary people come down to vulnerability and control. As capitalism focuses on expanding the proportion of social life open to data processing, the implications for privacy grow sharper. Looking ahead, the tension between the benefits of data-driven services and the risks of surveillance capitalism shows no signs of easing.
As more of daily life generates data, the economic incentive to collect and monetize that information will only intensify.
