The Age of Surveillance Capitalism

1. Surveillance capitalism: A new economic order that claims human experience as free raw material

Surveillance capitalism unilaterally claims human experience as free raw material for translation into behavioral data.

Origins at Google. Surveillance capitalism emerged at Google in the early 2000s when the company discovered it could extract and analyze user data to predict user behavior. This "behavioral surplus" became the foundation for targeted advertising, Google's main revenue source.

Spread to other companies. The model quickly spread to other tech giants like Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon. It has now permeated various sectors including retail, finance, and healthcare.

Key characteristics:

• Extraction of user data without meaningful consent
• Use of advanced analytics and machine learning to create prediction products
• Sale of these predictions in behavioral futures markets
• Goal of modifying user behavior to align with paying customers' interests

2. The rise of Big Other: Ubiquitous digital architecture for behavior modification

Big Other is a ubiquitous digital architecture of sensors, smart devices, and algorithms designed to extract data and shape behavior.

Pervasive sensing. The Internet of Things, smartphones, wearables, and other smart devices create a vast network of sensors that continuously monitor our activities, emotions, and environments.

Data extraction and analysis. This sensory network feeds an ever-growing pool of behavioral data, which is analyzed using artificial intelligence to create detailed profiles and predictions about individuals and groups.

Behavior modification capabilities:

• Real-time interventions to nudge behavior
• Personalized manipulation of information and choices
• Automated decision-making that affects individuals' opportunities and experiences

3. The reality business: Expansion of surveillance capitalism from virtual to physical world

The prediction imperative drives surveillance capitalism far into the intimate reaches of our daily lives and deep into our personalities and our emotions.

Beyond the screen. Surveillance capitalism has expanded from online tracking to monitoring real-world behaviors through smart home devices, connected cars, and urban sensing networks.

Commodification of reality. Physical spaces and experiences are increasingly digitized and monetized, creating new markets for behavioral data and prediction products.

Examples of reality business:

• Smart cities with ubiquitous sensing and data collection
• Connected vehicles that monitor driving behavior and location
• Home assistants that listen to conversations and analyze domestic activities

4. Economies of action: Tuning, herding, and conditioning for behavior modification

The new power is action... Real-time analytics translate into real-time action.

Tuning. Subtle adjustments to a person's informational or physical environment to influence behavior, often through "digital nudges."

Herding. Controlling key elements of a person's context to limit choices and guide behavior along desired paths.

Conditioning. Using reinforcement schedules to shape behavior over time, often through gamification or reward systems.

Automated experimentation. Continuous A/B testing and optimization of behavioral modification techniques at massive scale.

5. Rendition of the self: Mining personality and emotions for behavioral surplus

Intimate territories of the self, like personality and emotion, are claimed as observable behavior and coveted for their rich deposits of predictive surplus.

Personality profiling. Advanced analytics can infer detailed personality traits from digital footprints like social media activity, browsing history, and app usage.

Emotion analytics. Facial recognition, voice analysis, and biometric sensors are used to detect and quantify emotional states in real-time.

Applications:

• Micro-targeted advertising based on psychological profiles
• Emotional manipulation in user interfaces and content delivery
• Predictive hiring and credit scoring using personality data

6. The assault on human autonomy: Bypassing individual awareness and decision rights

Surveillance capitalism's operations are designed to keep us ignorant of its operations and their consequences.

Invisible extraction. Most data collection and analysis occurs without users' knowledge or meaningful consent.

Choice architecture. User interfaces and information environments are designed to steer behavior in desired directions while maintaining an illusion of free choice.

Erosion of privacy:

• Continuous monitoring of previously private spaces and activities
• Aggregation of data from multiple sources to create comprehensive individual profiles
• Use of predictive analytics to infer sensitive information not explicitly shared

7. The threat to democracy: Concentration of knowledge and power in surveillance capitalist firms

Surveillance capitalism is a coup from above: not an overthrow of the state but rather an overthrow of the people's sovereignty and a prominent force in the perilous drift toward democratic deconsolidation.

Asymmetry of knowledge. Surveillance capitalist firms possess unprecedented insight into human behavior, while their own operations remain opaque.

Manipulation of public discourse. Control over information flows and personalized content delivery allows these firms to shape political debates and influence electoral outcomes.

Erosion of democratic safeguards:

• Weakening of privacy protections and individual rights
• Corporate influence over policy-making through lobbying and data-driven manipulation
• Undermining of public institutions and civic spaces by private, profit-driven alternatives

Last updated: August 5, 2024