The New World [R]evolution: Surveillance Capitalism and Cities

Abstract

Surveillance capitalism commandeered the wonders of the digital world to meet our needs for an effective life, promising the magic of unlimited information to anticipate our needs and ease the complexities of our harried lives. Under this new regime, our lives plundered for behavioural data for the sake of others gain. In the absence of a decisive societal response that constrains this logic of accumulation, surveillance capitalism appears to become the dominant form of capitalism of our time. Even though the rapid growth of technology is the key for effective lifestyle, it also offers an ever-restraining means for freedom. This thesis describes an emergent logic of accumulation; Surveillance Capitalism in the networked sphere through the advanced technological revolution and considers its implication for the present-day living society and has became more evident during this pandemic crisis. The institutionalising practices and operational assumptions of tech-corporations, mainly Google Inc., are the primary lens for this research. An examination of the nature of surveillance, capitalism, technology, and urban domain intends to shed light on the implicit logic of surveillance capitalism through surveillance and computational logic to the built environments