Emergence of Surveillance Capitalism in Medicine

Abstract

Surveillance capitalism is defined by Dr. Zuboff, Harvard professor of social psychology, as the “commodification of reality and its transformation into behavioural data for analysis and sales” which is invading our modern world. Surveillance capitalism can occur through the use of social media and search engines; these platforms provide third party companies with large amounts of data that allows them to predict how we, the consumer, will behave. As a result of using their platforms, these companies learn how to modify our behaviour through the use of this complex behavioural psychology, and we put ourselves at risk of manipulation without even knowing it. Surveillance capitalism is a new force that is emerging in medicine and consequently becoming a new public health concern. This commentary will discuss the way surveillance capitalism affects public health through the use of Google, social media, and apps. Surveillance capitalism is on the rise in our society, and it is hard to stop it from invading our personal and private lives. Steps towards resolving this emerging public health problem involve better systems in place to protect consumer data, encouraging consumers to think critically about the information they see online, and funding more research to understand the ethical implications of these platforms in use.