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The ubiquitous, networked computational infrastructure that enables instrumentarian power by continuously monitoring and influencing human behavior.
6 chapters across 3 books
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 IIIPART III of 'In The Age Of The Smart Machine' explores the emergence of instrumentarian power as a new form of societal control in the third modernity, contrasting it with traditional totalitarianism. It analyzes how technology, particularly surveillance capitalism, reshapes human behavior, social relations, and concepts of freedom, culminating in a new collectivism driven by data and behavioral modification. The section also discusses the implications of this power for individuality, justice, and democracy, highlighting the challenges posed by the rise of 'Big Other' and the need for resistance.
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 invention and early development of surveillance capitalism at Google, highlighting how the company established foundational mechanisms that disregard individual privacy and autonomy in favor of unilateral data extraction for profit. It traces the expansion of these practices from online environments into real-world behavior modification, and introduces the concept of instrumentarian power, a novel form of control enabled by digital infrastructures that surpasses traditional totalitarian models. The chapter argues that these developments represent a privatization of society's division of learning and pose profound challenges to individual autonomy, democratic order, and the future of human nature.
PART IIIPart III of 'The Age of Surveillance Capitalism' explores the emergence of instrumentarian power as a new species of power distinct from traditional totalitarianism, focusing on how surveillance capitalism constructs a society governed by behavioral modification and certainty. It discusses the rise of 'Big Other' as a market-driven force that seeks total certainty through data extraction and behavioral prediction, leading to a new form of social order characterized by loss of individuality and the creation of a 'hive' society. The section concludes with reflections on the implications for freedom, justice, and democracy, emphasizing the urgent need to resist this new form of power.
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 IIIPart III of 'The Age of Surveillance Capitalism' explores the emergence of instrumentarian power as a novel form of totalitarian control in the context of a third modernity. It analyzes how surveillance capitalism creates a new social order where human behavior is manipulated through technology, leading to the erosion of individual freedom and the rise of a collective hive-like society governed by data-driven certainty. The chapters discuss the implications of this power for democracy, social relations, and the right to sanctuary, culminating in a call to resist this new collectivism.