Surveillance capitalism is the monetisation of data obtained from monitoring people’s activities online to help make business-related decisions. This article explores the concept of surveillance capitalism, its impact on democracy and consumer privacy, and the challenges it poses to traditional market capitalism.
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Surveillance capitalism1 Surveillance capitalism By (Name) Course Professor’s Name Location of institution Date
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Surveillance capitalism2 Surveillance capitalism Introduction Surveillance capitalism can be explained as the monetisation of data obtained from monitoring people’s activities online to help make business-related decisions (Dan 2014, p. 14). The data collected is analysed by organisations and used in making predictions of human behaviour now, soon and the days to come. Schiller (2014) argues that, the most common type of surveillance capitalism is consumer surveillance where the data obtained is used in advertising and target marketing. Marketers make use of the data collected online combined withdemographicinformationofindividualstomakemarketingdecision(Mayer- Schönberger 2019, p. 92). According to Zuboff (2015), surveillance capitalism ""challenges democratic norms and departs in key ways from the centuries-long evolution of market capitalism.". Zuboff (2015) argues that, Google which pioneered the idea of surveillance capitalism have for long ignored consumer’s rights to privacy by using data obtained without user’s data and using the data to help in making production . These technology companies such as Facebook and Google are changing the traditional known rules of market capitalism and working towards dictating human consumption behaviour. Market capitalism has been as a free market where businesses compete fairly for customers (Novak 2015, p. 35). Businesses operating in a capitalist market only keeps customers by offering quality products and highly reliable services (Anon 2017, p. 35). According to Tepper & Hearn (2019), market capitalism is made up of some characteristics which make it unique. Some of the distinctive features of the market are: no price control, private ownership, motivated by profits and minimal restriction. However, this has changed since the rise of the platform economy.Companies such as
Surveillance capitalism3 Google and Facebook have changed the fair competition and democracy of consumer as they take advantage of unknowing users of the platforms to get data and share it with third parties which is then used to predict consumer’s behaviours and thus help in producing goods of control,monetisationandcommodification.AccordingtoZuboff(2019),surveillance capitalism aims at predicting and modifying human behaviour to assist in market control and revenue generation as it conceals itself with technology (p. 106). Surveillance capitalism which started with Google between 2001 and 2004 has been adopted and continue to be adopted in the whole of Silicon Valley. “Free applications” being developed are designed to trap potential user’s data as a source of revenue generation while disregarding the fact that the data being used is obtained without the consent of the owners. Thedataisusedtomakepredictionsonourhealthbehaviour,driving,purchasing, movement, activities, people we are likely to meet among other things we are expected to do in the future (Mosco 2016, p. 93). With the development of smartphones, new car models, walking through the streets and working in offices surrounded with all sorts of gadgets “to make our living comfortable”, surveillance capitalism has taken captive every aspect of our life and it is thus hard for us to own our future proudly. Arora (2919) argues that, we live in a world where everyone is possessed with being offered smart service or own a smart gadget which is the primary source of behavioural data (p.58). According to Ford’s chief executive, the company is working towards developing intelligent cars, smart parking, intelligent transportation systems and smart roads. Despite the fact that this sounds good to the consumers of the Ford products, MR Hackett confessed that the intelligent cars will enable them to have more information about their clients such as the speed of the vehicle at any given time, exact time at which the owner of the car gets home, Names of all family members and the number of times the owner of the car has married. This is against principles of democracy and capitalist market as the data obtained is not intended to be used for the benefit
Surveillance capitalism4 of the car owners. Rather, the data obtained can be used against the owner of the car by an insurance to slow or stop the car in case the speed limit is exceeded or more fail to compensate the owner in case of an accident citing reckless driving. It is due to such probability that Zuboff (2015) argues that, democracy has slept, while surveillance capitalists amassed unprecedented concentrations of knowledge and power against the owners of the data. According to Haque (2015), more organisations are working towards having more data in the future from the products they are offering to their users which is crucial in making production decisions. Chun (2017) says that the most predictive behavioural data come from economies of action. The systems are thus being designed to modify the behaviour of consumers and shape it towards the companies'' desired financial outcomes. Since time immemorial, capitalism has involved converting things which never existed in the market dynamic to market commodities for sale and generation of revenue (Tepper & Hearn 2019, p. 172). Surveillance capitalism, on the other hand, is making use of the private human data and experience as a raw material that is fashioned and computed to make predictions which help organisations to make decisions. Lyon (2018), argues that surveillance capitalism has spread across all kind of products, economic sectors and services such as insurance, healthcare, finance, education, entertainment and retail creating a new generation of producers, suppliers, market makers, customers and many more . Service providers are no longer interested in making goods and provide services from the experience of the consumers or automating information to flow about their clients but are working towards automating the consumers without raising the possibility of self-determination. The power to shape the behaviour of the consumers for power and profits has no foundation in moral or democratic legitimacy as it hinders decision making and erodes the process of self-realisation which is essential in a democratic society (Ball & Webster 2019, p. 76).
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Surveillance capitalism5 It is evident that many people in the world are using the so-called ""free"" social media platforms and app without being conscious of the amount of personal data they are giving out freely. This has made surveillance capitalism to take advantage of the innocence and use the site users as a free source of raw materials that are used to make production and consumption predictions. According to several surveys conducted between 2009 and 2015, it is evident that many people do not support the idea of their data being taken without their knowledge. Despite the fact many people are convinced to believe that the data obtained is used to facilitate service improvement, it is evident that the companies have a surplus of information that is fed in advanced manufacturing processes (machine intelligence) and used to predict the consumption behaviour in the future. Many people have expressed their dissatisfaction as they no longer have their freedom to make their consumption decisions and are looking forward to a digital future that will fulfil their need without compromising their privacy (McChesney 2014). The surveillance capitalism competition among different organisations has led to the production of more advanced behaviour prediction products. This has led to the intervention of human behaviour thus shifting the focus from monitoring to actuating the behaviours. Surveillance capitalism, therefore, can tune and condition human behaviour towards most favourableoutcomes.Surveillanceonclientsenablesorganisationstohaveallthe information about their clients, but the clients have none bout them. They predict the consumer’s future for their gain which have an effect of eroding democracy as people are left with little capacity to make their moral judgement and think critically (Arora 2019, p. 78). According to Vaidhyanathan (2019), surveillance capitalism is the new business model that has been boosted by advancement in technology and the internet (p. 128). He argues that thecombinationofsurveillancecapitalistandgovernmentsurveillancemeanthatthe technology is separating citizens into two groups. That is the watched and watchers who are
Surveillance capitalism6 perceived as unknown, invincible and unaccountable. Citizens are made to become slaves to theorganisationsasasymmetryofknowledgetranslatesintoasymmetriesofpower (McChesney 2014, p. 159). Like any otherforms of capitalism such as mass production which had no regulations at the begging and took time before rules were set, surveillance capitalism has broken the democracy norms because it lucks laid out rules and regulations which should control it and ensure that consumer’s data is protected. Some of the ways organisations benefiting from this form of capitalism have managed to get away with it are; 1.The methods used to acquire the data are designed to keep the general public ignorant. This has been achieved by making people understand that surveillance capitalism is an inevitable consequence of technological advancements and thus must live with it. This unfortunate as people should understand it is possible to have surveillance without internet while they can have internet without surveillance. 2.Another reason for surveillance capitalism success has been a dependency on the internet in almost everything. Whether is conducting our classes or interacting with our health care providers, nearly everything human being has today leads them to channels of surveillance capitalism supply channels (Mayer-Schönberger 2019, p. 172). 3.The year 2001 when Google invented surveillance capitalism was around the era of the superiority of self-regulating markets and companies, and government regulations were considered as a setback in free enterprise. 4.Methods of surveillance capitalism and operations have impeded the ability of the public to grasp them and perceive their meaning as well as consequences.
Surveillance capitalism7 Despite the illegitimate power and domination of surveillance capitalism, most people have confessed to finding it hard to withdraw from using devices and platforms which channels them to surveillance capitalism supply chain. This is because they have been trapped in an involuntary merger of economic extraction and personal necessity where the same channels they rely upon for social interaction, healthcare, logistics, communication, transport and much more are the same that are used to trap data useful in surveillance capitalism (Mayer-Schönberger & Ramge 2018, p. 251). It is the responsibility of each of us to ensure that we come together and fight this dynamic of surveillance capitalisation. To achieve this, the public must be enlightened about surveillance capitalism to change their opinion. According to McChesney (2014), society has been made to believe that surveillance capitalism is part of technology advancements and must learn to live with (p. 145). This is a big lie that must be fought with to change the perception and bring sanity in using the internet to do marketing and market research as we work towards democratization of knowledge. The government and lawmakers should be at the forefront to help in the fight to protect consumer and internet users. The can be achieved by enforcing already existing consumer protection laws and development of new ones which are specific and related to surveillance capitalism. According to Zuboff (2015), surveillance capitalisation can be fought by causing a disconnection between demand and supply (p.7). This can only be achieved by enlightening people and informing the public how surveillance capitalisation is manipulating theme and thus they should together reject backstage practises of surveillance capitalism hence cause market failure. Conclusion
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Surveillance capitalism8 From the discussion above, it is evident that surveillance capitalism “challenges democratic norms and departs in key ways from the centuries-long evolution of market capitalism."Surveillance capitalism has ignored the democratic right of innocent internet users to get their demographic and personal data. The data is then given without their consent to third parties and it is used to make business related decisions which are behavioural related. Many victims of surveillance capitalism have been made to believe that surveillance capitalism is an inevitable consequence of technological advancements and thus must live with. In reality, surveillance capitalism is an income generating project by companies against the democratic right of their clients to information. It is evident that many people have since been informed about the ills of surveillance capitalism and are against the use of their data without their knowledge. To help restore sanity, each one of use must arise and help to fight against this exploitation and acquiring democracy to make our own decisions without being influenced.
Surveillance capitalism9 References Anon., (2017).Platform capitalism.1st ed. Cambridge, UK: Malden, MA: Polity. Arora, P., (2019).The next billionusers: digital life beyond the west.1st ed. Cambridge: Massachusetts Harvard University Press. Ball, K. & Webster, C. W. R., (2019).Surveillance and democracy in Europe.2nd ed. Abingdon,Oxon;; New York,NY:: Routledge. Chun, C., (2017).Discourses ofcapitalism:: everyday economists and the production of public discourses..2nd ed. New York: Routledge. Haque, A., (2015).Surveillance, transparency, anddemocracy:: public administration in the information age.1st ed.Tuscaloosa:: Universit ofy Alabama Press. Lyon, D., (2018).The culture ofsurveillance:: Watching as a way of life.1st ed. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Mayer-Schönberger, V., (2019).Reinventing Capitalism in the Age of Big Data..2nd ed. s.l.: Hodder & Stoughton. Mayer-Schönberger, V. & Ramge, T., (2018).Reinventing capitalism in the age of big data. 1st ed. NeYork: : Basic Books.
Surveillance capitalism10 McChesney,R.W.,(2014).DigitaDisconnect::howcapitalismisturningagainst democracy.2nd ed. New York: The New Press. Mosco, V., (2016).To thcloud: : big data in a turbulent world.3rd ed. New YorkNY: : Routledge. Novak,M.,(2015).Thespiritofdemocraticapitalism::thirtyyearslater.1sted. McLeanVirginia: : The Institute for Faith, Work & Economics. Schiller, D., (2014).Digital capitalism networking the global market.3rd edCambridge: : MIT Press. Tepper, J. & Hearn, D., (2019).The myth ocapitalism: : monopolies and the death of competition.2nd ed. Hoboken (New Jers): : John Wiley & Sons. VAIDHYANATHAN, S., (2019).ANTISOCIAMEDIA: : how facebook disconnects us.2nd ed. US: OXFORD UNIPRESS. . Zuboff, S., (2015). Big other: surveillance capitalism and the prospects of an information civisization.Journal of InformatioTechnology,30(11), pp. 75-89. Zuboff, S., (2019).The age of surveillanccapitalism: : the fight a human future at the new frontier of power.1st ed. New York: PublicAffairs.