What does the term "surveillance capitalism" refer to?

Surveillance capitalism refers to the commodification of personal data for profit, primarily by large tech companies. This phenomenon emerges when organizations collect data from individuals primarily through their online activities and behaviors, which are then analyzed to create detailed profiles. These profiles can be monetized in various ways, such as targeted advertising, personalized services, and even selling aggregated data to third parties.

The essence of surveillance capitalism lies in the transformation of personal information into economic value, often without the individual's explicit consent or even awareness. This raises significant ethical concerns regarding privacy, consent, and the power dynamics between individuals and corporations. The practice contrasts sharply with the concept of protecting personal data, as it involves exploiting that data to generate revenue.

Other options, while related to monitoring and privacy, do not capture the specific economic motivation and process involved in surveillance capitalism. For example, simply surveilling for public safety or monitoring citizens do not directly imply a profit motive through data commodification. Additionally, the sale of surveillance technology can denote a different aspect of privacy breaches rather than emphasizing the underlying economic model that surveillance capitalism encapsulates.