Surveillance Capitalism

In this article, we examine the significance of establishing participatory and consentful recordkeeping practice in the face of ubiquitous use of records beyond their original intent. Among such secondary uses is the decontextualisation of data as part of the 'industrialisation' of access and use of ‘historical’ records within current transactional contexts, together with a wide range of data sharing practices arising from contemporary data science paradigms. To situate the call to action for consentful recordkeeping practice, we begin the article by exploring how human ability to navigate through the perpetual twilight of records becomes increasingly murky when a wholesale approach to data collection and governance is applied by machine learning practitioners. We then re-frame some classical archival principles to align them with participatory approaches; specifically, by expanding the scope of Jenkinsonian ‘moral defence’ as an imperative for proactive engagement with the Archival Multiverse. We then describe a case study of consentful recordkeeping in practice, using the example of the AiLECS Lab’s newly developed collection acquisition and management system. This principles-based framework informs our practices for collecting and curating datasets for machine learning research and development and aims to privilege the ongoing consent of those represented in records to their use. In the context of this work, our core premise is that technologies designed to prevent exploitation of children should aim to avoid underlying data practices that are themselves exploitative (of children or adults).

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Surveillance Capitalism Revealed: Tracing The Hidden World Of Web Data Collection

Medeiros,

Glatzl Junior,

Lifschitz

2024

Anais Estendidos Do XXXIX Simpósio Brasileiro De Banco De Dados (SBBD Estendido 2024)

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This study investigates the mechanisms of Surveillance Capitalism, focusing on personal data transfer during web navigation and searching. By analyzing network traffic, we uncover how various entities track and harvest digital footprints. The research reveals specific data types exchanged between users and web services, emphasizing the sophisticated algorithms involved in these processes. We present concrete evidence of data harvesting practices and propose strategies for enhancing data protection and transparency. Our findings highlight the need for robust data protection frameworks and ethical data usage to address privacy concerns in the digital age.

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Surveillance Capitalism

Cited by 3 publications

References 18 publications

Surveillance Capitalism: The Transformation of Raw Online Data into Valuable Assets by High-Tech Companies—Is AI Governance a Threat or a Solution to Our Privacy Concerns?

Surveillance Capitalism: The Transformation of Raw Online Data into Valuable Assets by High-Tech Companies—Is AI Governance a Threat or a Solution to Our Privacy Concerns?

The perpetual twilight of records: consentful recordkeeping as moral defence

Surveillance Capitalism Revealed: Tracing The Hidden World Of Web Data Collection

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