Instigator / Pro
10
1587
rating
182
debates
55.77%
won
Topic
#4151
Capital Surveillance inhibits the progress of society.
Status
Finished
The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.
Winner & statistics
After 2 votes and with 4 points ahead, the winner is...
Sir.Lancelot
Parameters
- Publication date
- Last updated date
- Type
- Standard
- Number of rounds
- 4
- Time for argument
- Two days
- Max argument characters
- 10,000
- Voting period
- One week
- Point system
- Multiple criterions
- Voting system
- Open
Contender / Con
6
1500
rating
2
debates
0.0%
won
Description
Definitions:
Capital Surveillance- The widespread collection and commodification of personal data by corporations.
Society- A particular large group of people who share laws, organizations, customs, etc.
Progress- To develop to a higher, better, or more advanced stage.
Inhibit- Hinder, restrain, or prevent.
Rules:
1. There are other definitions which rephrase or word the meaning of Capital Surveillance differently. Those definitions are equally as valid as the one in this description. Other terms shall remain as they are for now. Once the debate is accepted, the other definitions cannot be contested.
2. One forfeit shall be the loss of a conduct point. Two are a full forfeit.
Round 1
Preamble
My focus in this debate shall be to prove that Capital Surveillance is hindering societal progress. I will support this claim with several arguments.
BOP
Since I'm the one proposing the claim, I believe I should win if I demonstrate that Capital Surveillance inhibits the progress of society. One example is all I need.
Constructive Arguments
l. Stifling Individual Thought
- The freedom to think independently is interrupted by the algorithm limiting your searches to only categories centered around your previous traffic.
- The information you're exposed to is centered around your personal views, so it amplifies your beliefs rather than allowing you to hear contradictory views to provide pushback.
- Lack of reliable sources.
This prioritization of business profit weaponizes these companies with the means to spy on you and restricting your access to information they feel threatened by. With this limited research, people are unable to make educated decisions because of the lack of information.
A third reason is that these methodologies are designed to keep us ignorant. The rhetoric of the pioneering surveillance capitalists, and just about everyone who has followed, has been a textbook of misdirection, euphemism, and obfuscation.
ll. Virtual Monopolization
- The companies that utilize surveillance capitalism/capital surveillance are able to assume long-term control.
- Hierarchal chain of command is permanent.
With the popularity of Google and Facebook, these tyrants will make decisions behind the scenes that the people may not consent to which allows them to exploit this power dynamic.
lll. Low Competition
- As an extension of my last two points, the power that these companies have and the control over information means they will inevitably use this ability to obscure competing startup tech companies.
This will cause these platforms to end up in the same category as MySpace. However, competition is vital in order to get original ideas or features that these new companies have that these current ones don't. How can we ever expect to challenge ourselves and grow with this repetition?
One theme of misdirection has been to sell people on the idea that the new economic practices are an inevitable consequence of digital technology.
lV. Violation of Privacy
You would probably be surprised to know how much people are unaware that they're being watched right now. These services track everything from your YouTube Searches, location history, what you eat & how you dress, or what kind of words you use when you post something.
- Tech companies harvest all sorts of data about us from our devices and online activities, often without our consent.
Frankly, it should be concerning just how much of our daily privacy is an illusion.
V. Elimination of Autonomy
People think they have complete control over the decisions they make, but all it takes is one thought to either make or break their choices. Even something as insignificant as a suggestion can drive them to certain things.
Google specifically harnesses this power to secretly encourage customers to purchase from businesses they own, so that the money can be personally used to fund their choices.
You can say goodbye to freedom of choice.
Counterpoints
I.
-Personalized algorithms can help individuals quickly find information that is relevant to their interests, saving time and effort in searching for information.
-Personalized algorithms can help individuals quickly find information that is relevant to their interests, saving time and effort in searching for information.
-Users have the option to control the information they see by adjusting their privacy settings or using different search engines that prioritize privacy.
-Companies that engage in capital surveillance are required to be transparent about their practices, allowing individuals to make informed decisions about whether to participate or not.
- The claim that companies are deliberately trying to keep individuals ignorant is an unsubstantiated one. Companies may have other motivations, such as increasing customer satisfaction and revenue, rather than hindering societal progress.
II.
-While a few companies may dominate the market, there is still competition among them. Competition can help prevent any one company from completely monopolizing the market and exerting undue control.
-Government regulators can help prevent anti-competitive practices and promote a level playing field in the market.
-Consumers have the power to choose which companies they interact with and support. If a company is engaging in unethical practices, consumers can choose to switch to a competitor.
-Technological innovation can disrupt dominant players and lead to the emergence of new players in the market.
-Consumer advocacy groups can raise awareness about the practices of dominant companies and help ensure that their actions align with the interests of consumers.
III.
-Competition is a fundamental aspect of market dynamics and new entrants can still emerge and compete with established players. While the entry barrier may be high, new companies can still bring innovative ideas and features to the market and disrupt established players.
-Consumer demand can drive the market and create opportunities for new entrants. If consumers are unhappy with the offerings of established players, they may switch to new companies that offer a better experience.
-Government regulators can promote competition by enforcing anti-trust laws and preventing anti-competitive practices by established players.
-Technological advancements can create new markets and opportunities for new entrants. For example, the rise of mobile technology and the internet has led to the emergence of new companies in the tech industry.
-Investment in new startups can provide the necessary capital for new companies to enter the market and compete with established players.
IV.
-There are various privacy protections in place, such as laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act, which give consumers control over their personal data and help ensure that companies are transparent about their data collection practices.
-There are various privacy protections in place, such as laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act, which give consumers control over their personal data and help ensure that companies are transparent about their data collection practices.
-While some users may be unaware of the extent of data collection, there is a growing awareness among consumers about the importance of privacy and the potential risks of unchecked data collection. This awareness is driving the development of privacy-focused products and services.
-Technological advancements are making it easier for consumers to protect their privacy. For example, privacy-focused browsers and ad blockers can help prevent companies from tracking user activity.
-The market is increasingly competitive and companies that prioritize privacy are likely to gain a competitive advantage over companies that do not.
-Governments around the world are considering new regulations to protect consumer privacy. For example, the US Congress is currently considering several privacy bills that would give consumers greater control over their personal data.
V.
-While companies may attempt to influence user choices through their algorithms and personalized recommendations, ultimately the decision to make a purchase lies with the user. Consumers have the ability to research products and make informed decisions based on their own preferences and values.
-The market is competitive and companies that prioritize user choice and privacy are likely to gain a competitive advantage over companies that prioritize their own interests.
-Governments around the world are considering new regulations to protect consumer privacy and promote competition. For example, the European Union has implemented strict privacy regulations to ensure that companies do not abuse their power.
Round 2
Rebuttals
l. Regulation Culture
-Personalized algorithms can help individuals quickly find information that is relevant to their interests, saving time and effort in searching for information.-Users have the option to control the information they see by adjusting their privacy settings or using different search engines that prioritize privacy.-Companies that engage in capital surveillance are required to be transparent about their practices, allowing individuals to make informed decisions about whether to participate or not.- The claim that companies are deliberately trying to keep individuals ignorant is an unsubstantiated one. Companies may have other motivations, such as increasing customer satisfaction and revenue, rather than hindering societal progress.
New laws pushing for transparency about these practices exist because big tech giants like Facebook and Google are responsible for secretly violating people’s privacy. Oftentimes you have to consider the reason that such policies have come to be in the first place.
- "In the 2010s, personal data belonging to millions of Facebook users was collected without their consent by British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, predominantly to be used for political advertising."
This violation of privacy to sell data to companies is a gross misuse of information.
While it may be true that new laws are restricting these practices, the fact remains there will be loopholes by which Surveillance Capitalism can exploit people.
- The ability to minimize privacy by adjusting your settings is insufficient on its own because simply relying on service providers that put GPS into your devices makes it difficult, nearly impossible, to evade location tracking.
- Companies keeping consumers ignorant is a known power-tactic known as a ‘Filter-Bubble.’
- Filter-Bubble - A situation in which an internet user encounters only information and opinions that conform to and reinforce their own beliefs, caused by algorithms that personalize an individual’s online experience.
"One of the great problems with filters is our human tendency to think that what we see is all there is, without realizing that what we see is being filtered.
That might not sound so bad, but filter bubbles create echo chambers. We assume that everyone thinks like us, and we forget that other perspectives exist."
Intentional or not, these things exist. And these companies have the ability to use this at any time.
ll. Elimination of Competition
-While a few companies may dominate the market, there is still competition among them. Competition can help prevent any one company from completely monopolizing the market and exerting undue control.-Government regulators can help prevent anti-competitive practices and promote a level playing field in the market.-Consumers have the power to choose which companies they interact with and support. If a company is engaging in unethical practices, consumers can choose to switch to a competitor.-Technological innovation can disrupt dominant players and lead to the emergence of new players in the market.-Consumer advocacy groups can raise awareness about the practices of dominant companies and help ensure that their actions align with the interests of consumers.
Competition is in short-supply and is progressively declining with time. Big players at the top are actively making choices to sabotage these companies, so consumers will have fewer choices.
- "As of 2020, Messenger has an estimated 2.77 billion monthly users.10 Rather than battle mobile market competitor WhatsApp, Facebook acquired its rival in 2014 for $19 billion, bringing another one billion users into the fold.11"
Laws can be used to hinder these Tech Tyrants and while technological innovation can be used to balance the power scales, the reverse is more true and oftentimes allows them to keep their Chain of Command at the expense of eliminating the competitor.
- Furthermore, the Burden to invent procedures which hold these companies accountable is higher than the latter countering these attempts.
- “There’s a lot of things to be done on the technical side to make these companies more accountable and also to improve privacy without sacrificing the efficiency of data/AI powered products.”
lll. Supply and Demand
“-There are various privacy protections in place, such as laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act, which give consumers control over their personal data and help ensure that companies are transparent about their data collection practices.-While some users may be unaware of the extent of data collection, there is a growing awareness among consumers about the importance of privacy and the potential risks of unchecked data collection. This awareness is driving the development of privacy-focused products and services.-Technological advancements are making it easier for consumers to protect their privacy. For example, privacy-focused browsers and ad blockers can help prevent companies from tracking user activity.-The market is increasingly competitive and companies that prioritize privacy are likely to gain a competitive advantage over companies that do not.-Governments around the world are considering new regulations to protect consumer privacy. For example, the US Congress is currently considering several privacy bills that would give consumers greater control over their personal data.”
A common error is thinking these laws and competition balance the equation in their favor, when in reality, they’re only there to give victims exploited by this power dynamic a chance to catch up.
- Facebook was intentionally draining its users phone batteries in order to test out new features and when one of their employees refused to do it, he was fired.
This is a problem for victims who are injured and need to contact the authorities.
- It also doesn’t help that countries like China (Heavy government surveillance problem) hacked Google in order to arrest Google users, forcing Google to cease working with them. But then Google started secretly working with them again in developing a surveillance search product.
- “The Chinese government can order Apple to participate in its digital surveillance and dissent-suppression efforts and threaten the company with the loss of revenues and manufacturing if it balks.”
lV. Fewer Choices
“-While companies may attempt to influence user choices through their algorithms and personalized recommendations, ultimately the decision to make a purchase lies with the user. Consumers have the ability to research products and make informed decisions based on their own preferences and values.-The market is competitive and companies that prioritize user choice and privacy are likely to gain a competitive advantage over companies that prioritize their own interests.-Governments around the world are considering new regulations to protect consumer privacy and promote competition. For example, the European Union has implemented strict privacy regulations to ensure that companies do not abuse their power.”
- Companies like Facebook are actively limiting the choices a user can make by sabotaging their enemies by buying out their competitors.
- A lot of users wouldn’t use these tech sites, just knowing what they do, but it’s nearly impossible because using them is the only way to remain employable in this generation.
- The companies that are now prioritizing privacy are going to have a lot of catching up to do because the bigger companies will wield their power to keep them at the bottom.
Forfeited
Round 3
Con concedes. Vote Pro.
Forfeited
Round 4
Extend.
Forfeited
A debate about surveillance and the contender is under surveillance for using chatgtp to make the debate.
i love irony.
does this mean sir.lancelot wins by example AND principle?
"Since I'm the one proposing the claim, I believe I should win if I demonstrate that Capital Surveillance inhibits the progress of society. One example is all I need."
The term surveillance capitalism was coined by academic Shoshana Zuboff in 2014. She suggests that surveillance capitalism depends on:
…the global architecture of computer mediation […] [which] produces a distributed and mostly uncontested new expression of power that I christen: “Big Other”.
https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-surveillance-capitalism-and-how-does-it-shape-our-economy-119158
Oof, the updates.
I can certainly see the circumstantial evidence. Curious to see how Wylted will respond.
Hey Wylted!
Thanks for accepting this debate!
It is 3 days until the end of winter break so I don't have exactly time for elegant arguments, but because this debate is not "on balance" and counterexamples do exist...
Yeah, I think you can add "on balance" to make it fairer.