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Capitalism’s New Clothes
Article

Capitalism’s New Clothes

Shoshana Zuboff's new book on “surveillance capitalism” emphasizes the former at the expense of the latter

The Baffler, 2019

автоматическое преобразование текста в аудио
автоматическое преобразование текста в аудио

Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Comprehensive
  • Analytical
  • For Experts

Recommendation

What works and what doesn’t in Shoshana Zuboff’s tome The Age of Surveillance Capitalism? Writing for left-wing magazine The Baffler, science historian Evgeny Morozov evaluates Zuboff’s writing through the lens of rigorous critical inquiry. In his long article, he considers the book on its own merits; in terms of how its proclamations stand up against political, economic and cultural theories; and in comparison with Zuboff’s other books. Morozov brings an authoritative, well-informed (occasionally humorous) voice that’s an excellent complement to the book. His review is also a fascinating stand-alone analysis, appropriate for anyone interested in how the concept of surveillance capitalism applies to the intersection of capitalism, IT and privacy.

Take-Aways

  • Shoshana Zuboff’s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism grew out of a 2013 newspaper article and builds on her previous books: In the Age of the Smart Machine and The Support Economy.
  • Zuboff has been studying the impact of IT in the workplace for 40 years.
  • Her term “surveillance capitalism” describes how digitizing everything gives “social power” to tech firms.

About the Author

Evgeny Morozov, PhD, authored The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom and is a contributing editor at The Baffler.


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