Surveillance capitalism threatens privacy and democracy

Source: The post Surveillance capitalism threatens privacy and democracy has been created, based on the article “Surveillance capitalism: the power to control personal data” published in “The Hindu” on 25th February 2025.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper1-Effects of globalisation

Context: The article explains surveillance capitalism, where companies collect and sell personal data to predict and influence behaviour. Tech giants like Google and Meta track users for profit. This weakens privacy, autonomy, and democracy. Weak regulations allow corporations and governments to benefit from mass surveillance.

What is Surveillance Capitalism?

1. Surveillance capitalism is a system where companies collect and sell personal data to predict and influence human behavior.
2. It was introduced by Shoshana Zuboff in her book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism (2018). This system reshapes capitalism by making human experiences a source of profit.
3. Companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon track user activities online and offline. They use this data for targeted ads and content recommendations.

How is it Different from Industrial Capitalism?

1. Core Resource: Industrial capitalism relies on labor and material production. Surveillance capitalism profits from behavioral data extraction.
2. User as Raw Material: Users are both consumers and data sources in surveillance capitalism.
3. Focus on Behavior Control: Industrial capitalism aims at efficiency and productivity. Surveillance capitalism uses algorithms to shape user behavior.

Example: Cambridge Analytica scandal (2014) showed how personal data was used to manipulate voter behavior.

How Does It Affect Privacy and Democracy?

1. Data Exploitation: Surveillance capitalism collects massive amounts of personal data without user consent. For example, the Cambridge Analytica scandal showed how data can manipulate elections by targeting voters with personalized ads.
2. Loss of Autonomy: Users are nudged towards decisions that benefit corporations, not themselves, making them predictable economic actors.
3. Reduced Privacy: Constant monitoring erodes privacy as every online action is tracked and analyzed.
4. Weak Democratic Accountability: The partnership between states and private tech companies reduces public scrutiny, allowing data usage beyond democratic control.

Why is It Difficult to Regulate?

1. Regulations like the EU’s GDPR and India’s DPDPA aim to protect data privacy.
2. However, they do not stop companies from using personal data for profit. Big corporations influence policymakers to prevent strict regulations.
3. The rise of tech CEOs in politics increases corporate control over policies. This makes it hard to limit data collection and behavioral manipulation.

For detailed information on India’s Data Protection Rules read this article here

Why Is This a Concern?

Surveillance capitalism allows companies and governments to control information. It makes people vulnerable to manipulation. If strong laws are not made, privacy and democracy will be at risk. Public awareness and policy changes are needed to stop exploitation.

Question for practice:

Evaluate the impact of surveillance capitalism on privacy, autonomy, and democracy.