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http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/dsp01z603r1587| Title: | Data capitalism and algorithmic racism |
| Contributors: | Milner, Yeshimabeit Traub, Amy |
| Keywords: | Information technology—Social aspects—United States—21st century Electronic surveillance—Social aspects—United States Privacy, Right of—United States United States—Race relations—21st century |
| Issue Date: | May-2021 |
| Publisher: | Demos |
| Place of Publication: | New York |
| Description: | Even before the global pandemic drastically increased reliance on communications technology for working, learning, shopping, and socializing at a distance, Americans from all walks of life reported a growing unease about the impact of technology companies on our country. Whether it is the gig economy company that tinkers with its incentive algorithms—and sends pay plummeting for thousands of “independent contractors,” or the firm peddling facial recognition technology that disproportionately misidentifies people of color as wanted criminals, the video site that promotes inflammatory misinformation guaranteed to generate clicks, or the social media giant that lets advertisers exclude Black homebuyers from seeing real estate ads in particular neighborhoods, communities across the country are struggling with the effects of unaccountable data extraction and algorithmic decision-making. Concerns go far beyond worries about personal privacy to fundamental questions of power and control. This paper makes the case that the underlying driver is data capitalism: an economic model built on the extraction and commodification of data and the use of big data and algorithms as tools to concentrate and consolidate power in ways that dramatically increase inequality along lines of race, class, gender, and disability. At its core, racial inequality is a feature, not a bug, of data capitalism. Indeed, big data is not as novel or revolutionary as it is commonly understood it to be. Instead, it is part of a long and pervasive historical legacy and technological timeline of scientific oppression, aggressive public policy, and the most influential political and economic system that has shaped and continues to shape this country’s economy: chattel slavery. Algorithmic racism occurs when contemporary big data practices generate results that reproduce and spread racial disparities, shifting power and control from Black and brown people and communities. This report aims to help policymakers, movement leaders, and thinkers better understand and address the challenges posed by data capitalism and the ways it is fundamentally intertwined with systemic racism. The report describes the core problem of data capitalism, surveys its roots in history, and briefly examines how it manifests today in the workplace, consumer marketplace, and public sphere. We show that the evolving system of data capitalism is not the inevitable result of technological progress, but rather the result of policy decisions. This brief will highlight key policy shifts needed to ensure that potent technological tools no longer concentrate the might of a white-dominated corporate power structure, but are instead used in ways that will benefit Black lives. We know that when Black lives truly matter, everyone will benefit. Finally, we conclude with a look at groups mobilizing to challenge data capitalism, vividly illustrating that our current path is not inevitable. |
| URI: | http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/dsp01z603r1587 |
| Related resource: | https://www.demos.org/research/data-capitalism-and-algorithmic-racism |
| Appears in Collections: | Monographic reports and papers (Publicly Accessible) |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demos_ D4BL_Data_Capitalism_Algorithmic_Racism.pdf | 8.58 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Download |
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