Surveillance Capitalism
An economic system where personal data is extracted and commodified for behavioral prediction and manipulation, often without meaningful consent.
Surveillance capitalism is a term coined by scholar Shoshana Zuboff to describe an economic system built on the extraction and commodification of personal data for profit.
Core Mechanics
- Extraction: Collecting vast amounts of behavioral data from users
- Prediction: Using data to create models of future behavior
- Intervention: Selling predictions to advertisers who seek to influence behavior
Key Players
Major tech platforms—Google, Meta, Amazon—pioneered this model, but it has spread across industries including retail, insurance, and healthcare.
Privacy Implications
- Users often unaware of data collection scope
- Consent mechanisms designed to be confusing
- Data used in ways never anticipated by users
- Power asymmetry between platforms and individuals
Resistance
Growing awareness has led to regulations like GDPR and CCPA, though critics argue these don’t address the fundamental business model.