New Books in Science, Technology, and Society Kean Birch, "Data Enclaves" (Palgrave MacMillan, 2023)
Jun 14, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Kean Birch, a Professor at York University specializing in science and technology studies, delves into the intricacies of personal data as a vital economic asset. He reveals how our reliance on Big Tech transforms our personal data into private commodities and the implications of this shift on society. Birch explores the concept of assetization, emphasizing ownership and valuation techniques. The conversation highlights the monopolistic strategies of tech giants in creating data enclaves and the urgent need for regulatory responses to navigate a data-driven economy.
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Data as a Produced Asset
- Big Tech firms don't simply extract data; they generate personal data as a produced asset through socio-technical systems.
- They focus on creating legible, measurable data valuable for monetization, not necessarily accurate personal records.
Data's Hidden Economic Power
- Data becomes a potent political economic asset because it can be owned or controlled to generate future benefits.
- Big Tech's soaring market caps reflect immense value extracted from personal data, despite it not being on balance sheets.
Big Tech's Enclave Strategy
- Big Tech creates controlled ecosystems or enclaves where they set the rules and control data access.
- Companies joining these ecosystems depend on them but must abide by Big Tech’s unchallengeable rules.
