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surveillance-capitalism

A business model where companies commodify personal data, including neural data, to influence and control behavior for profit.

17 chapters across 5 books

The Battle for Your Brain (2015)David Eagleman

PART I Tracking the Brain

This chapter explores the emerging field of consumer neurotechnology, focusing on CTRL-labs' wristband that detects electrical signals from the brain to the peripheral nervous system to enable direct brain-computer interaction. It highlights the potential for these technologies to revolutionize human-computer interfaces, while raising critical concerns about brain privacy, data commodification, and the ethical implications of neural data surveillance. The chapter also discusses the acquisition of CTRL-labs by Meta and the broader implications of integrating neural interfaces into everyday technology.

Chapter 1: The Last Fortress 1. “All About EMG,” Noraxon USA, accessed August 17, 2022, https://www.noraxon.com/all- about-emg/. 2. Sara Goering et al., “Recommendations for Responsible Development and Application of Neurotechnologies,” Neuroethics 14 (2021): 365–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-021- 09468–6. 3. Marcello Ienca and Roberto Adorno, “Towards New Human Rights in the Age of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology,” Life Sciences, Society and Policy , 13 (2017). 4. Paul Buchheit, “On Gmail, AdSense and More,” BlogScoped , July 16, 2007, http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2007-07-16-n55.html. 5. Search Engine Market Share in 2022 , Oberlo, 2022. https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/search- engine-market-share. 6. Ben Gilbert, “How Facebook Makes Money from Your Data, in Mark Zuckerberg’s Words,” Business Insider , April 11, 2018, https://www.businessinsider.com/how-facebook-makes- money-according-to-mark-zuckerberg-2018-4. 7. Shoshana Zuboff, “Big Other: Surveillance Capitalism and the Prospects of an Information Civilization,” Journal of Information Technology 30 (2015): 75–89, https://doi.org/10.1057/jit.2015.5. 8. Emil Protalinski, “CTRL-Labs CEO: We’ll Have Neural Interfaces in Less Than 5 Years,” VentureBeat , November 20, 2019, https://venturebeat.com/2019/11/20/ctrl-labs-ceo-well-have- neural-interfaces-in-less-than-5-years/. 9. Elise Reuter, “4 Takeaways from the 23&Me’s Planned SPAC Deal,” MedCityNews , February 7, 2021, https://medcitynews.com/2021/02/four-takeaways-from-23mes-planned-spac-deal/. 10. Charles Seife, “23andMe Is Terrifying, but Not for the Reasons the FDA Thinks,” Scientific American , November 27, 2013, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/23andme-is- terrifying-but-not-for-the-reasons-the-fda-thinks/. 11. Emil Protalinski, “Ctrl-Labs CEO: We’ll Have Neural Interfaces in Less Than 5 Years,” VentureBeat , November 20, 2019, https://venturebeat.com/2019/11/20/ctrl-labs-ceo-well-have- neural-interfaces-in-less-than-5-years/. 12. Nick Statt, “Facebook Acquires Neural Interface Startup CTRL-Labs for Its Mind-Reading Wristband,” Verge , September 23, 2019, https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/23/20881032/facebook-ctrl-labs-acquisition-neural-interface- armband-ar-vr-deal. 13. Rachel Sandler, “Facebook Acquires Brain Computing Startup CTRL Labs,” Forbes , September 23, 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2019/09/23/facebook-acquires-brain- computing-startup-ctrl-labs/. 14. Adario Strange, “Facebook Chief Mark Zuckerberg Talks Immersive Remote Video & AR Smartglasses Following Major Reveals from Snap & Google,” Next Reality News , June 4, 2021, https://next.reality.news/news/facebook-chief-mark-zuckerberg-talks-immersive-remote- video-ar-smartglasses-following-major-reveals-from-snap-google-0384706/. 15. Strange, Zuckerberg Talks Immersive . 16. Zongkai Fu, Huiyong Li, Zhenchao Ouyang, Xuefeng Liu, and Jianwei Niu, “Typing Everywhere with an EMG Keyboard: A Novel Myo Armband-Based HCI Tool,” Algorithms and Architectures for Parallel Processing , Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 12452, ed.

Chapter 1: The Last Fortress explores the emerging landscape of neurotechnology and brain-computer interfaces, highlighting the rapid development and commercialization of neural devices such as EMG-based interfaces and mind-reading wristbands. It critically examines the implications of these technologies on privacy, surveillance capitalism, and human rights, emphasizing the need for responsible development and ethical frameworks. The chapter also surveys key industry players like Facebook and Microsoft, and discusses the challenges posed by brain data security and the potential for brain hacking.

In The Age Of The Smart MachineUnknown

Preamble

This chapter, titled 'Preamble,' primarily consists of copyright and publication information for the book 'The Age of Surveillance Capitalism' by Shoshana Zuboff. It establishes the legal and ethical framework protecting the author's intellectual property and provides bibliographic data, while also briefly introducing the book's title and thematic focus on surveillance capitalism.

PART III

This chapter introduces the concept of surveillance capitalism as a new economic order that exploits human experience for commercial gain, posing unprecedented threats to human nature and societal sovereignty. It reflects on the enduring human quest for 'home' amid the digital transformation, illustrating this through the example of the 'Aware Home' project and its evolution into commercial smart-home devices like Google's Nest thermostat, which ultimately undermine individual privacy and control. The chapter highlights the tension between technological promise and the erosion of personal sanctuary in the emerging information civilization.

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 follows surveillance capitalism into a second phase change. The first was the migration from the virtual to the real world. The second is a shift of focus from the real world to the social world, as society itself becomes the new object of extraction and control. Just as industrial society was imagined as a well-functioning machine, instrumentarian society is imagined as a human simulation of machine learning systems: a confluent hive mind in which each element learns and operates in concert with every other element. In the model of machine confluence, the “freedom” of each individual machine is subordinated to the knowledge of the system as a whole. Instrumentarian power aims to organize, herd, and tune society to achieve a similar social confluence, in which group pressure and computational certainty replace politics and democracy, extinguishing the felt reality and social function of an individualized existence. The youngest members of our societies already experience many of these destructive dynamics in their attachment to social media, the first global experiment in the human hive. I consider the implications of these developments for a second elemental right: the right to sanctuary. The human need for a space of inviolable refuge has persisted in civilized societies from ancient times but is now under attack as surveillance capital creates a world of “no exit” with profound implications for the human future at this new frontier of power.

This chapter analyzes the evolution of surveillance capitalism from focusing on virtual and real-world data extraction to targeting the social world itself, creating an 'instrumentarian society' modeled as a human hive mind subordinated to system knowledge. It critiques the totalizing control of individuals, the erosion of democratic freedoms, and the assault on the right to sanctuary, while distinguishing surveillance capitalism from traditional capitalism and highlighting the roles of major tech firms. The author combines social science and essayistic methods, grounding theoretical insights in empirical research and personal reflection to map the unprecedented logic of surveillance capitalism and its implications for democracy and human autonomy.

PART I

This chapter sets the foundation for understanding surveillance capitalism by examining the pivotal events of August 9, 2011, highlighting Apple's revolutionary digital business model that inverted traditional mass production-consumption logic. It contrasts this digital individualization with the neoliberal economic paradigm that undermines individual agency, and introduces the historical tension between mass production capitalism and emerging individualized consumption, framing the rise of surveillance capitalism within these opposing forces.

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 I

This chapter outlines the foundational concepts and historical context for understanding surveillance capitalism, tracing its emergence through key events and theoretical frameworks. It explores the transformation from traditional capitalism to a new form driven by behavioral surplus extraction, highlighting the roles of major tech companies like Google and the socio-political environment that enabled this shift. The chapter also examines the mechanisms of control, competition, and knowledge privatization that sustain surveillance capitalism and its implications for society's future.

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.

PART III

PART 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.

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

PART III

Part III of 'The Age of Surveillance Capitalism' outlines the emergence of instrumentarian power as a new form of dominance in the digital age, focusing on how surveillance capitalism transforms human experience into raw material for behavioral modification and control. The chapter contrasts early optimistic visions of smart homes as private sanctuaries with the reality of pervasive data extraction and loss of individual sovereignty, exemplified by devices like Google's Nest thermostat. It highlights the erosion of privacy and autonomy under surveillance capitalism, framing it as a 'coup from above' that threatens human rights and the concept of home.

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 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.

When Google Met Wikileaks (2014)Julian Assange

Chapter 7

This chapter critically examines 'The New Digital Age' by Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen, highlighting how the book promotes a technocratic imperialism that aligns Silicon Valley with U.S. geopolitical power. It exposes the banal and dangerous normalization of surveillance, privacy erosion, and the centralization of power under the guise of technological progress, warning that these trends threaten democracy and reinforce authoritarianism globally. The chapter also reflects on Google's transformation from an independent tech culture to a key player in U.S. state power and surveillance.

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.