Data capitalism’s colonial character rests on unequal global economic power.

Evidence

Another way in which capitalism’s new interrelations with data deserve to be called colonial is the massively unequal global distribution of economic power on which they are based. — Nick Couldry & Ulises A. Mejias, The Costs of Connection, 90

Categorization

• DEFINE: Frames the colonial analogy as resting on global power asymmetry rather than just extraction of resources per se, an important scope boundary for the contested term.
• XREF: connects to: Resistance to data colonialism must confront global capitalism, not just platforms — Nick Couldry & Ulises A. Mejias, The Costs of Connection: How Data Is…, 650; Data colonialism requires transforming society itself, not just extracting value — Nick Couldry & Ulises A. Mejias, The Costs of Connection: How Data Is…, 365

Broader Connections

• Resistance to data colonialism must confront global capitalism, not just platforms #expands (0.85) — Nick Couldry & Ulises A. Mejias, The Costs of Connection, 650
• Data colonialism requires transforming society itself, not just extracting value #expands (0.80) — Nick Couldry & Ulises A. Mejias, The Costs of Connection, 365