the age of surveillance capitalism book review

A study found that 90% of websites leak personal information to an average of nine outside domains where this info is collected and used for commercial purposes. Google was able to use this new information and turn its business around from losing money to making a lot of money in just four years.įacebook is the second largest site in terms of data collection. Google was the first to recognize that people’s personal data could be used for business purposes. For example, Amazon’s Alexa is a virtual assistant that helps people buy things online and collect data about their purchases. For example, if you’re close to a McDonald’s, they’ll show you an ad for a Big Mac.ĪI can also help with predictive products. Personal data collected can help businesses advertise better. In surveillance capitalism, everything we do is collected and sold to businesses. These companies are trying to keep it that way. Big Idea #1: In surveillance capitalism, all aspects of the human experience are being monetized.ĭo you know to what extent businesses are monitoring and selling your movements, speech, actions, experiences and behaviors? Few of us do. Lastly, you’ll read about how the 9/11 terrorist attacks led to surveillance capitalism in America. You’ll also find out how behaviorism is guiding business practices today and why it’s controversial. In this article, you’ll learn about how many cookies your computer collects when visiting the most popular websites. Shoshana Zuboff, however, hopes we can find a way for better privacy laws in the digital sphere. Many books that criticize surveillance capitalism are still helping to normalize it by suggesting that people should turn off their devices and spend less time on social media. This information is then used for behavioral trends that help advertisers better target customers.

The list goes on and on because they know how often you charge your phone or when you go to sleep. They track everything from location to search history to contacts and more. Surveillance capitalists take your data and sell it to advertisers. If you use the Internet, you are engaging with surveillance capitalism. This data is becoming more specific as advanced “smart” devices enter the market and diminish the amount of space not being monitored for behavioral data. This information includes browsing history, phone numbers, email addresses, location history and even a psychological profile based on your social media accounts. Nowadays, there are very few laws that protect your personal data from being collected and sold to advertisers.

1-Page Summary of The Age Of Surveillance Capitalism OverviewĪfter the events of September 11, 2001, efforts to establish online privacy laws were put aside.

The age of surveillance capitalism book review