How Does Concentrated Data Control Lead to Manipulation of People?
Introduction
According to World Economic Forum, we are on the verge of creating a “web of the world”. This is because data is collected on every action we take. These data are stored at the headquarters of large technology companies and are frequently subject to the rules and regulations of the countries in which they operate. However, these gatekeepers are pretty vulnerable to cyber-attacks and make censorship & surveillance very easy.
Businesses and governments are rapidly innovating methods to tap into the data streams of our lives, tracking what we do, who we know, and where we go. The techniques and objectives for data collection continue to increase, with no apparent end or cap insight. These vary from minor infractions, such as WhatsApp sharing your name and phone number with Facebook so businesses may advertise to you, to significant incursions, such as Baltimore police surreptitiously utilizing aerial surveillance devices to monitor and film the city continually. Or, as with data brokers, who construct large individualized profiles about each of us and then sell and exploit them to evade consumer regulations intended to prevent predatory and discriminating acts.
These data harvesting incidents are linked by a common compulsion — a data imperative — that motivates many companies and governments. This need necessitates the extraction of all data feasible from all sources and in every manner conceivable. It has sparked a data arms race, igniting the need for surveillance tools that permeate all facets of life and society. And the rationale for amassing these huge data stores is to capitalize on the value they may or may not create. Unfortunately, in recent times, these too many powers have been consolidated by the national government and tech giants, which have been and continue to be abused to the harm of the people. Brink Lindsey and Steven Teles of the libertarian Niskanen Center argue in The Captured Economy that too many corporations — large and small — now have disproportionate influence over public policy.
Dangers of Concentrated Power to Control Data
Personal data has become the new “oil” — a vital resource in the twenty-first century. It has established itself as a new asset class encompassing all facets of the society. Contrary to frequently repeated rhetoric, data does not exist in the world on its own and is not created voluntarily. Humans produce data from human beings. The data-as-an-asset narrative has contributed to the growth of a profitable market for data — the data broker sector alone generates around $200 billion in annual income — at the expense of the people for whom data is intended.
According to new research from the Oxford Internet Institute, social media manipulation is becoming more sophisticated, with an increasing number of governments and political parties cynically utilizing social media algorithms, automation, and big data to manipulate public opinion on a large scale — with grave implications for democracy. The survey discovered that computational propaganda and social media manipulation have exploded in popularity in recent years, currently affecting more than twice as many nations (70) as they were two years ago (28). The research indicates that, due to social media’s global reach, the proliferation of false news and poisonous narratives has become the dysfunctional new ‘normal’ for political players everywhere.
Data as a Source of Manipulation
Human social existence and structure are inextricably linked to power. The standard social influence theory established the overarching assumptions about the correlation between power and social influence that all classic theories share. The fundamental concepts are that power can influence people and is bestowed through control of resources, in this case, the society’s data. This theory shows that absolute power to control data ultimately manipulates people and influences opinion.
Conclusion
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Oke Taofeek Deji
Content Writer
www.nexbloc.com
