The podcast discusses the concept of surveillance capitalism and its impact on the economy and our way of life. It explores the trade-offs involved in using services like Pokemon Go as behavior modification experiments. The implications of the surveillance economy are explored, including the power shift to private companies and the impact on democracy. The podcast also discusses the challenges and reasons for users not leaving Facebook, and shares a personal experience of successfully quitting Facebook and Google.
Surveillance capitalism is a new era of capitalism driven by tech companies collecting and monetizing personal data for profit.
Quitting Facebook and other big tech platforms is challenging due to addiction and lack of alternatives, but it allows for regaining control over personal data and reducing time spent on these platforms.
Deep dives
Surveillance capitalism is reshaping the online and offline behavior
In this podcast episode, the concept of surveillance capitalism is discussed as a new era of capitalism that is spreading across the entire economy. Surveillance capitalism refers to the practice of collecting and monetizing behavioral data from individuals. The big tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon play a major role in this economy, as they collect vast amounts of user data to predict and shape behavior for profit. The social and economic implications of surveillance capitalism are explored, highlighting the loss of privacy, the power dynamics between individuals and tech companies, and the need for more transparency and regulation.
The role of Facebook in surveillance capitalism
Facebook is highlighted as a leading player in the surveillance capitalism arena, with its emphasis on targeting advertising and exploiting user data. The controversies surrounding Facebook, such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the spread of misinformation, are discussed as consequences of the data mining practices employed by the company. Despite concerns about privacy and manipulation, a significant number of users remain loyal to Facebook due to its social connectivity and the lack of viable alternatives. The tension between the benefits and drawbacks of using Facebook is examined, as well as the responsibility of the company to address privacy concerns.
The challenge of quitting Facebook and big tech companies
The podcast delves into the personal experiences of individuals who have chosen to quit Facebook and other big tech companies. It explores the difficulty of breaking free from these platforms due to the addictive nature of social media and the lack of viable alternatives. However, it also highlights the benefits of quitting, such as regaining control over personal data and reducing time spent on these platforms. The need for greater awareness about the trade-offs and for more competitive alternatives in the marketplace is emphasized, as well as the potential role of regulations in curbing the excesses of surveillance capitalism.
In her new book, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Harvard Business School’s Shoshana Zuboff argues that tech companies — like Google and Facebook — collect so much personal data for profit, that they’re changing the fundamentals of our economy and way of life. And now these companies are learning to shape our behavior to better serve their business goals. Shoshana joins Manoush Zomorodi to explain what this all means for us.
We then explore whether or not it’s time to end our relationship with corporate spies. OG advice columnist Dear Abby gives us some tips to start with. We chat with philosopher S. Matthew Liao. He asks if we have a moral duty to quit Facebook. Alice Marwick explains why most people won’t leave the social network. And journalist Nithin Coca tells us what it was like for him to quit both Facebook and Google. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t easy, but he has no regrets.
IRL is an original podcast from Mozilla, maker of Firefox and always fighting for you. For more on the series go to irlpodcast.org.
Mozilla is on your side. Firefox has never — and will never — sell your data. And, we make things that give you more control over your life online. If you love Facebook but hate their data collection practices, reduce what they can track about you. Try Firefox’s Facebook Container extension, which makes it harder for Facebook to track you on the web outside of Facebook.