← Back to Concept Indexprivatization-of-learning
The transformation of the societal division of learning into a privatized domain controlled by surveillance capitalists, central to twenty-first-century social order.
5 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 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 IPART I of 'The Age of Surveillance Capitalism' lays the foundational framework for understanding surveillance capitalism by tracing its historical, economic, and social origins. It explores the emergence of behavioral surplus through Google's pioneering role, the neoliberal context that enabled the rise of surveillance capitalism, and the mechanisms of extraction, dispossession, and competition that define its operations. The section also addresses the societal implications of this new form of capitalism, including the privatization of knowledge and the challenges posed to human autonomy and democratic futures.
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 IPart I of 'The Age of Surveillance Capitalism' lays the foundational framework for understanding surveillance capitalism by tracing its historical, economic, and social emergence. It details key moments such as the Apple hack and Google's pioneering role in discovering behavioral surplus, explores the neoliberal context that enabled this new economic order, and examines the mechanisms of extraction, competition, and the privatization of societal learning. The section culminates in highlighting the destabilizing effects of surveillance capitalism and the urgent need to reclaim a human-centered future.