Assignment:
Read the following three articles.
Varian, H.R. (2010). Computer Mediated Transactions, American Economic Review 100(2): 1-10.
Zuboff, S. (2015). Big other: surveillance capitalism and the prospects of an information civilization. Journal of information technology, 30(1), 75-89.
Runge & Seufert (2021, Apr 26) - Apple Is Changing How Digital Ads Work. Are Advertisers Prepared?
Answer the following questions.
1. Varian (2010) introduces the idea of computer mediated transactions (CMT). What is a CMT and are the four types he talks about?
2. What is surveillance capitalism?
3. According to Zuboff, what are data extraction and data analysis? What is their relevance to surveillance capitalism?
4. How does surveillance capitalism relate to CMT? Are they the same/different? Use evidence from the readings to support your answer.
5. Briefly outline three potential benefits of surveillance capitalism and three potential risks of surveillance capitalisism.
6. How will Apple's new approach to privacy settings change the profit calculus of "Big Tech" and surveillance capitalism moving forward?
Readings:
1. Big other: surveillance capitalism and the prospects of an information civilization
By Shoshana Zuboff
2. Apple Is Changing How Digital Ads Work. Are Advertisers Prepared?
By Julian Runge and Eric Seufert
3. Computer Mediated Transactions
By Hal R. Varian