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behavioral-modification

The strategic intervention in human experience to shape behavior at scale, used by surveillance capitalists to enhance prediction products and commercial outcomes.

8 chapters across 3 books

In The Age Of The Smart MachineUnknown

Part I moves on to a close examination of surveillance capitalism’s invention and early elaboration at Google, beginning with the discovery and early development of what would become its foundational mechanisms, economic imperatives, and “laws of motion.” For all of Google’s technological prowess and computational talent, the real credit for its success goes to the radical social relations that the company declared as facts, beginning with its disregard for the boundaries of private human experience and the moral integrity of the autonomous individual. Instead, surveillance capitalists asserted their right to invade at will, usurping individual decision rights in favor of unilateral surveillance and the self-authorized extraction of human experience for others’ profit. These invasive claims were nurtured by the absence of law to impede their progress, the mutuality of interests between the fledgling surveillance capitalists and state intelligence agencies, and the tenacity with which the corporation defended its new territories. Eventually, Google codified a tactical playbook on the strength of which its surveillance capitalist operations were successfully institutionalized as the dominant form of information capitalism, drawing new competitors eager to participate in the race for surveillance revenues. On the strength of these achievements, Google and its expanding universe of competitors enjoy extraordinary new asymmetries of knowledge and power, unprecedented in the human story. I argue that the significance of these developments is best understood as the privatization of the division of learning in society, the critical axis of social order in the twenty-first century.

This chapter analyzes the emergence and institutionalization of surveillance capitalism, focusing on Google's foundational role in developing mechanisms that disregard individual privacy and autonomy for profit. It traces the expansion of surveillance capitalism from online data extraction to real-world behavioral modification, highlighting the rise of instrumentarian power embodied in a pervasive computational infrastructure called Big Other. The chapter argues that these developments represent a privatization of societal learning and a novel, deeply antidemocratic form of power that challenges traditional understandings of autonomy, democracy, and social order.

PART III

This chapter introduces the concept of instrumentarian power as a new, unprecedented form of power underpinning surveillance capitalism, distinct from twentieth-century totalitarianism. It critiques the common tendency to interpret surveillance capitalism through the lens of totalitarianism, arguing that instrumentarianism operates through behavioral modification and prediction rather than coercion or soul engineering. The chapter also provides a historical overview of totalitarianism's origins and characteristics to clarify what instrumentarian power is not, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of its unique mechanisms.

PART II

PART II of 'In The Age Of The Smart Machine' explores the rise and mechanisms of surveillance capitalism, detailing how human behavior is predicted, controlled, and monetized through data extraction and behavioral modification. It examines the transformation of personal experience into data, the conquest of individuality, and the political and economic imperatives driving these processes. The chapters also discuss the ethical and societal implications of these dynamics, including the erosion of personal autonomy and the shaping of futures by corporate power.

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power (2019)Shoshana Zuboff

PART III

This chapter introduces 'instrumentarian power' as a novel form of power distinct from twentieth-century totalitarianism, rooted in surveillance capitalism's behavioral modification and prediction markets. It contrasts instrumentarianism's focus on behavioral instrumentation and monetization with totalitarianism's aim of soul engineering and genocide, emphasizing the unprecedented nature of both. The chapter also reviews the origins and philosophical foundations of totalitarianism to prepare for a deeper exploration of instrumentarian power's unique mechanisms and implications.

PART II

Part II of 'The Age of Surveillance Capitalism' delves into the mechanisms and implications of surveillance capitalism as it advances into new realms of human experience. It explores how human behavior is predicted, modified, and commodified through data extraction and behavioral modification techniques, emphasizing the political and economic imperatives driving these processes. The chapters collectively analyze the transformation of personal experience into data, the conquest of human autonomy, and the struggle over the right to shape the future.

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism (2019)Shoshana Zuboff

Part I moves on to a close examination of surveillance capitalism’s invention and early elaboration at Google, beginning with the discovery and early development of what would become its foundational mechanisms, economic imperatives, and “laws of motion.” For all of Google’s technological prowess and computational talent, the real credit for its success goes to the radical social relations that the company declared as facts, beginning with its disregard for the boundaries of private human experience and the moral integrity of the autonomous individual. Instead, surveillance capitalists asserted their right to invade at will, usurping individual decision rights in favor of unilateral surveillance and the self-authorized extraction of human experience for others’ profit. These invasive claims were nurtured by the absence of law to impede their progress, the mutuality of interests between the fledgling surveillance capitalists and state intelligence agencies, and the tenacity with which the corporation defended its new territories. Eventually, Google codified a tactical playbook on the strength of which its surveillance capitalist operations were successfully institutionalized as the dominant form of information capitalism, drawing new competitors eager to participate in the race for surveillance revenues. On the strength of these achievements, Google and its expanding universe of competitors enjoy extraordinary new asymmetries of knowledge and power, unprecedented in the human story. I argue that the significance of these developments is best understood as the privatization of the division of learning in society, the critical axis of social order in the twenty-first century.

This chapter analyzes the emergence and institutionalization of surveillance capitalism at Google, highlighting how the company pioneered invasive data extraction by disregarding individual privacy and moral autonomy. It traces the expansion of surveillance capitalism from online data extraction to real-world behavioral modification, emphasizing the rise of instrumentarian power embodied in a pervasive computational infrastructure called Big Other. The chapter argues that these developments represent a privatization of societal learning and a new form of power that challenges democratic norms and individual autonomy.

PART III

This chapter introduces 'instrumentarian power' as a novel form of power distinct from twentieth-century totalitarianism, rooted in surveillance capitalism's ability to modify and monetize human behavior through digital means. It contrasts instrumentarianism with totalitarianism, emphasizing that while totalitarian regimes sought to reshape human souls through coercion and violence, instrumentarian power operates through behavioral modification and prediction without physical violence. The chapter also traces the origins and philosophical underpinnings of totalitarianism to clarify the unprecedented nature of instrumentarian power.

PART II

Part II of 'The Age of Surveillance Capitalism' delves into the mechanisms and implications of surveillance capitalism's expansion, focusing on how human behavior is predicted, captured, and manipulated for profit. It explores the transformation of personal experience into data, the conquest of individual autonomy, and the socio-political dynamics that enable this new economic order. The chapters collectively reveal how surveillance capitalism redefines reality, agency, and the future through pervasive data extraction and behavioral modification.