Human nature, like nature, abhors a vacuum. Surveillance capitalism is expanding exponentially in the new space created by digital technology. It is shaping the amorphous silicon with software, behaviors and business models that reflect the distorted morality and deficient humanity of a narrow clan.
This land grab is only possible in societies with no countervailing forces, either in government, judiciary, journalism, business world or civic society. Alas the US is very nearly such a failed society, as evidenced by its still smouldering Trump period. This is disastrous for the Western world in general (and Europe in particular) which for decades has simply followed the US lead in tech.
Tech is not just another cog in eternal societal struggles. Things are coming to a head. The challenges are compounding and the sustainability of our entire (eco)system is at risk. Tech should be at the forefront of shaping healthy social contracts to help us transition to a viable state. It is one of the few levers left that have a positive range. Instead it is abusing and eroding the most vital ingredient of a healthy society: trust
To paraphrase: Monitor your own keystrokes and combat soul theft. Make sure you program the kind of future you want to live in.
What is "surveillance capitalism"? I remember in my country when we had "socialist" in the country name we used to have a huge surveillance system called "state security" (Securitatea Statului, in Romanian) and I figure surveillance and capitalism can coexist, but they are independent.
This land grab is only possible in societies with no countervailing forces, either in government, judiciary, journalism, business world or civic society. Alas the US is very nearly such a failed society, as evidenced by its still smouldering Trump period. This is disastrous for the Western world in general (and Europe in particular) which for decades has simply followed the US lead in tech.
Tech is not just another cog in eternal societal struggles. Things are coming to a head. The challenges are compounding and the sustainability of our entire (eco)system is at risk. Tech should be at the forefront of shaping healthy social contracts to help us transition to a viable state. It is one of the few levers left that have a positive range. Instead it is abusing and eroding the most vital ingredient of a healthy society: trust
To paraphrase: Monitor your own keystrokes and combat soul theft. Make sure you program the kind of future you want to live in.