Surveillance capitalism conquered through unilateral declarations, not permission seeking

Evidence

Thus, the age of surveillance capitalism was inaugurated with six declarations that defined it as an age of conquest. Surveillance capitalism succeeded by way of aggressive declaration, and its success stands as a powerful illustration of the invasive character of declarative words and deeds, which aim to conquer by imposing a new reality. These twenty-first-century invaders do not ask permission; they forge ahead, papering the scorched earth with faux-legitimation practices. Instead of cynically conveyed monarchical edicts, they offer cynically conveyed terms-of-service agreements whose stipulations are just as obscured and incomprehensible. They build their fortifications, fiercely defending their claimed territories, while gathering strength for the next incursion. Eventually, they build their towns in intricate ecosystems of commerce, politics, and culture that declare the legitimacy and inevitability of all that they have accomplished. — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 564

Categorization

• XREF: Parallels the earlier chapters’ account of Google’s early violations (iPhone tracking, Street View) and lays groundwork for the lawfulness theme — connects to your existing claims about surveillance capitalism’s unasked incursions. — connects to: Indoor spaces resisted surveillance until businesses were made willing hosts — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 479; Privacy protections are structurally incompatible with surveillance capitalism’s accumulation logic — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 601; Surveillance capitalism rests on extreme inequalities of knowledge and power — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 45 (+10 more)
• SEED: Angle: comparing terms-of-service agreements to monarchical edicts as parallel mechanisms of imposing unwelcome reality — a piece on the sovereignty of clickwrap.

Broader Connections

• Surveillance capitalism rests on extreme inequalities of knowledge and power #expands (0.85) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 45
• Surveillance capitalism advanced through corporate control, lawless space, and cultural fortification against scrutiny #corroborates (0.85) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 321
• Institutionalization made surveillance capitalism’s practices appear necessary and inevitable #corroborates (0.80) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 388