(12) zuboff_ch5_pts_I-III
The elaboration of SC: Kidnap, Corner, Compete

I. The extraction Imperative
Pushing for scale in supply operations (of Behavioral Surplus and decision rights)

Google’s suite of services . . . in an extraction architecture. “a continuous parade of ‘innovations’
[Note how often we treat these as being done for us. NOT. Done to CORNER RAW SUPPLIES.

II. Cornered

“Search Enhancements” that multiply the amount of data collect, preference Google products/partners. The function is not the thing. The thing is the data the function provides to Google. 

Monopoly doesn’t so much unfairly eliminate competition; instead, it corners user-derived data.

Google “gave away” Android to phone makers as a way to multiply Google’s sources of data.

Here “open source” (which is supposed to work in favor of users) is a tool heavily pitched AGAINST them. Google doesn’t have to make $ on Android; instead, it thrives on the data it collects.

Schmidt: “a relatively inexpensive smartphone with a browser is all you need to get the world’s information”
and all google needs to collect all the data . . . 
For Google: Better the open source Android than the proprietary Apple; Apple can protect your data by keeping it to themselves. Used? Yeah. But not bought, sold, traded, shared and used WITH everything against users. Used against their own users? Sure. Like a cap pistol v. Google’s nuclear bombs. 

P.s.: It is harder (impossible) to control data leakage via APP use than general web browsing/use. 

The big digital companies especially Google and Facebook but including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and others, never asked anyone for permission to capture all of our digital exhaust and into build multi-billion-dollar businesses on top of selling and buying that information. They just took it. In fact, the terms of service under which we use digital stuff dictates that all the digital exhaust belongs to those companies even though we generate all of the information. In other words the details of our lives, now lived largely through digital technologies, no longer belong to us but have been captured by corporate entities. The data marketplace contains and includes thousands of companies in our information goes to their hands without her knowledge, without our explicit permission, and in most cases is then used against us.

III. The Dispossession Cycle

A predictable sequence of stages, crafted and orchestrated, producing a theory of change.

Incursion into undefended space (defaults always on; difficult settings, ubiquitous collection) online, offline, via video collection, phone use, mobile devices, in stores, QR codes, etc). Google claims a new sense of public space (with lower privacy expectations). Mark Z soon followed with his claims that public expectations had radically shifted. 

habituation via habit, helplessness, resignation, inevitability. NUMB-NESS abounds. Don’t look back, wait them out, Step on them, if necessary. For Mark Z, it’s Beta opps, beta opps beta opps … alpha that looks adjusted but that is actually very close to the original beta. Misdirection as design strategy.

adaption that evade governmental or market controls. “You find & resist, we’ll change it so it works.” Google offers a ZILLION privacy controls. All right there in their convenient dashboard. Just try to set them. PLUS, every link to every partner requires a new batch of settings (and Google accepts NO responsibility for the outcome of those). 

redirection of contested supply operations so that they appear compliant with social and legal demands.
No moving away from the process; just MORE ideologically-based rhetoric and design (and sheer obfuscation) to hide actual practices. Pokemon GO anyone?

Trinity Heights, Sioux City Iowa: https://www.trinityheights.com/

Constant checking (by apps) for location and other data.