The Dark Side of Surveillance Capitalism

How Surveillance Capitalism is Deceptive

Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
172 Pages
Reviewed on 07/16/2020
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Author Biography

I am a technophile at heart but my main base of operations is in
industrial design, all new technology is of interest.
As well as old tech, but that which affects this global framework.
Also i work with a small think tank of techies to bring interesting concepts to fruition, a native of detroit , with a future aptitude for emerging molecular technologies.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

The Dark Side of Surveillance Capitalism by William R. Poole is an informative book that clearly identifies and communicates the nefarious side of tech surveillance and opens the reader’s eyes to how big tech companies and corporations gain access to their information and how a lot of online activities that readers undertake actually reveal vital information about them to powerful capitalists. It will be surprising to many that whenever they use their phone, access the internet, or do a search on sites like Google, they leave footprints and reveal precious information that is mined and sold, and that some companies even use to influence the government. The big question is: How safe is your information when you access the internet or click the agree button after reading the privacy policies when buying a product online? You will find surprising answers in this book.

In The Dark Side of Surveillance Capitalism, readers will gain ten insights into why surveillance capitalism is dark, understand the Google machine intelligence and the impact of prediction products model and how it works, gain more awareness of online activities that put their privacy in jeopardy, how big tech companies influence government policies, and a lot more. William R. Poole’s book is written for readers who want to understand surveillance capitalism and how it affects them. A well-researched, beautifully articulated book that takes a critical look at how our use of the internet helps capitalist companies to grow and what happens to the information we unconsciously deliver to them. It is written in a confident tone and features information that readers need to know.

Vincent Dublado

The stark and naked reality is all around us. As our contemporary lifestyle continues to depend on electronic devices, we are unaware of a form of creeping espionage that puts our privacy at risk. In The Dark Side of Surveillance Capitalism: How Surveillance Capitalism is Deceptive, William R. Poole shows us how the convenience of our gadgets demands our personal information. He explains that surveillance, once used to keep track of anyone engaged in criminal activity, is now used as a tool in various industries ranging from health care, enterprises, and government records. He argues that surveillance has been taken to a level that the public is not allowed to know, and he breaks it down per chapter what we, the unknowing consumers, need to know to protect ourselves--from the different types of gadgets with planted surveillance to the involvement of giant tech companies like Google. As this becomes an alarming threat, Mr. Poole similarly offers how we can protect ourselves from such unlawful intrusion.

If you are concerned about protecting your personal information in our digital age, start with this book. Against the backdrop of the influence of the digital economy and the corporate powers and entities that control them, this book makes explicit how the practice of surveillance capitalism becomes a threat to social justice based on the principle that it denies the exercise of mutual consent. Such injustice results in economic maldistribution through misrecognition based on consumer profiling. The Dark Side of Surveillance Capitalism is William R. Poole’s enlightening crusade against such unjust categorization and misrepresentation that renders the public voiceless. This book deserves the attention of anyone who strongly feels the need for fair data accumulation and analytics for the sake of equality.

Foluso Falaye

What a time to be alive! People thousands of miles apart are connected through technology, an entire wardrobe can be shopped in one sitting, and "private conversations" are exposed to third parties and mined for data. It is becoming extremely important to learn how to maintain one's privacy in this digital age. The Dark Side of Surveillance Capitalism includes 10 reasons why surveillance capitalism is dark, how the service agreement is deceptive to the consumer, how the government and military are using AI, 31 ways to survive the world of surveillance capitalism, and more. In a world where political agendas are being used to influence the public and consumer choices are being controlled through social media, William R Poole's book is a big necessity!

They say what you don't know can't hurt you. In the case of one's privacy, it is very far from the truth. I never knew the extent to which mine was being violated until I read The Dark Side of Surveillance Capitalism. I believe now that everyone should be aware of how to protect their privacy. William R Poole makes it quite easy for readers to understand an otherwise complex concept; the practical instructions have been very helpful. I believe that every gadget with internet connectivity should include some of the information provided in The Dark Side of Surveillance Capitalism in their manuals. The fact that this is not the norm is worrisome. I am super appreciative of William R Poole's efforts in educating people about surveillance capitalism, and I really hope his book reaches as many gadget users as possible.

K.C. Finn

The Dark Side of Surveillance Capitalism: How Surveillance Capitalism Is Deceptive is a work of non-fiction in the business, technology and sociocultural sub-genres, and was penned by author William R. Poole. In this fascinating exposé on the world of surveillance and how it is turning darker by the moment in the interest of monetary gain, the author takes us through eleven well-researched chapters that will explain and educate. From data mining to the truth about privacy policies, we explore how technologies and their parent companies are fusing with government and society to play a much bigger and darker influence than we might first expect.

Author William R. Poole has crafted a really fascinating work that is well worth a read for those who have not yet opened their eyes to the dangers of data mining and what the nature of privacy really means in the modern world. The idea of ‘you are the product’ is a very scary one indeed, and the author uses a really clear and direct narrative style to get his points across without overcomplicating the issues or making it hard for newcomers to the concept to understand. The referencing and sources make the arguments and discoveries yet more compelling. I found that the book was really well organized to build upon different points and reach the overall, quite shocking, picture. Overall, I would highly recommend The Dark Side of Surveillance Capitalism as a truly eye-opening read for one and all.