Data & consent · Accountability lens
The Surveillance Economy
What is surveillance economy?
A business environment in which tracking, profiling, and monetizing people’s behavior become central sources of value. It raises questions about meaningful choice, transparency, and the value people receive for their information.
The Surveillance Economy: an illustrative example
Someone downloads a free app and later discovers that its location data supports advertising profiles across other services. The collection was buried in terms they did not understand.
Sources and related reading
- FTC staff report on social media and video streaming data practices — source reference
This is a practical accountability lens. Examples illustrate the concept; they are not verified client results. Working definitions and accountability lenses are not claims of a universal standard or original coinage.
Related data & consent terms
- Access control
Rules and technical measures restricting who can use information or systems.
- AI disclosure
Clear information about material AI involvement in a service or communication.
- Anonymization
Transforming data so people are not reasonably identifiable in its context of use.
- Audit trail
A record of actions that supports review of what happened.