World Affairs Council

Surveillance Capitalism: How Silicon Valley Profits from Tracking Us

In the modern age of Facebook, Google, and smart devices, most of us are under 24-hour surveillance. These data points are collected by large tech companies and are in turn sold to and used by governments and businesses alike to influence our behavior. On this week’s episode, Dr. Shosana Zuboff discusses her new book, “The Age of Surveillance Capitalism,” which explores what can be done to protect democracy and free thought against these new threats. She is in conversation with Jim Fruchterman, founder and CEO, Tech Matters.

Dr. Z walks us through her investigations into the gestation of analytic techniques of masses of personal data, various tests of its efficacy (Think 'Pokemon' 'game'+tokens) thence re-purposing as the efficiency of control is established. In brief: "manipulation which turns "us", all unawares: into "instruments for others' gains". aka an effective control over our autonomy", This is orders of magnitude beyond mere hawking of merchandise via ancient subliminal methods. Or hawking the earlier processes to Vladimir and Trumping the entire sorry planet: it's More--if you can imagineer 'such a heady magnitude'(?)

A sequential, detailed history from the gestation on through many tested-variants including the Cambridge Analytica incident, but quite more. Unclear when this opus will appear here for those interested in the unBrave New Post-autonomy World ('New' but already operating.)

Is it not best-to-Know thine Enemy? aka the who+the how of new Scales-of-Bastards seeking and obtaining quite more than winning the tawdry Moloch-Game of Capitalismo. ..so much to find out before you're Found Out-totally, eh?
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Carrion
and I thought that C. Analytica had hit ~~ the nadir of Ethics-free (mayhap becoming a fantasy word, next). A new breed of pond-scum perhaps. So then, were the backers of the Drumpf-puppet to drop a few $B over next 15 months.? ... {wanna guess the New Veep? as CIEIO-from-a San Jose locale?}