engleski

Algorithmic Capitalism, Surplus Value Accumulation and the Redistribution of Digital Wealth

Recent years have seen a surge of academic interest in studying the biases of algorithms and automation (e.g. Diakopoulous, 2014 ; Napoli, 2014 ; Helberger, 2016 ; Tambini, 2016 ; Pasquale, 2017). The focus is mostly on political bias, much less on the algorithmically-enabled capture of digital advertising investments worldwide. On the other hand, critical political economy of communication perspectives emphasize the economic dimension of data flows, including the commodification of internet users’ everyday lives (Prodnik, 2014) ; exploitation of digital labour (e.g. Fisher, 2015 ; Fuchs, 2010 ; Fuchs and Sevignani, 2013) ; as well as accumulation of surplus value by processing information and metadata (Pasquinelli 2009 ; 2015). In this presentation, I will connect these fields together in what can, provisionally, be labelled a critique of algorithmic capitalism. Alphabet Inc. (Google) and Facebook capture more than half of the total digital market value in most European countries. The exact share depends on the size of the respective internet population, internet advertising per capita and the size of the national digital advertising market (Winseck, 2017). I argue that such systemic, digital advertising drainage provides a clear example of a ‘market failure’ (Bator, 1958 ; Pickard, 2013 ; 2016) in which the market inefficiently produces and allocates communication. Ultimately, it results in poor quality news and impoverished democracy. To support the thesis, I will analyse digital advertising capture by Google and Facebook in European countries in the past two years based on market reports, IAB benchmark reports and other sources. I will also provide theoretical and normative directions for criticizing algorithmic capitalism and for demanding democratic distribution of digital wealth.

Algorithms, surplus value, digital wealth

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