Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural Power
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2023 |
Outros Autores: | |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Texto Completo: | https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i2.6464 |
Resumo: | Recalling the well-known strategy of “following the money” when investigating the underlying power structures and business models of legacy media, this article argues that studies of digital political economies can benefit instead from following the data. Combining perspectives from critical data studies and infrastructure research, we first discuss how direct money flows can be difficult to trace in digital ecosystems, creating a need for alternative analytical approaches for studying and scrutinising contemporary power configurations in digital societies. As a theoretical backdrop, we elaborate on the concept of infrastructural power and apply it in a walkthrough of critical data infrastructures. To illustrate the efficacy of this strategy, we provide perspectives and examples from the political economies of internet infrastructures in Northern Europe and discuss how control over data is translated into economic profit and societal power. In doing so, we argue that increased attention to data infrastructures is needed to advance both critical data and infrastructure studies, improve digital market monitoring, and ground future regulation and policy. |
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Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural Powercritical data studies; data economy; infrastructural power; internet infrastructures; political economyRecalling the well-known strategy of “following the money” when investigating the underlying power structures and business models of legacy media, this article argues that studies of digital political economies can benefit instead from following the data. Combining perspectives from critical data studies and infrastructure research, we first discuss how direct money flows can be difficult to trace in digital ecosystems, creating a need for alternative analytical approaches for studying and scrutinising contemporary power configurations in digital societies. As a theoretical backdrop, we elaborate on the concept of infrastructural power and apply it in a walkthrough of critical data infrastructures. To illustrate the efficacy of this strategy, we provide perspectives and examples from the political economies of internet infrastructures in Northern Europe and discuss how control over data is translated into economic profit and societal power. In doing so, we argue that increased attention to data infrastructures is needed to advance both critical data and infrastructure studies, improve digital market monitoring, and ground future regulation and policy.Cogitatio Press2023-06-28info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i2.6464https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i2.6464Media and Communication; Vol 11, No 2 (2023): A Datafied Society: Data Power, Infrastructures, and Regulations; 319-3292183-2439reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAPenghttps://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6464https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6464/6464Copyright (c) 2023 Sofie Flensburg, Signe Sophus Laiinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessFlensburg, SofieLai, Signe Sophus2023-06-29T17:45:28Zoai:ojs.cogitatiopress.com:article/6464Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T18:01:43.026293Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural Power |
title |
Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural Power |
spellingShingle |
Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural Power Flensburg, Sofie critical data studies; data economy; infrastructural power; internet infrastructures; political economy |
title_short |
Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural Power |
title_full |
Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural Power |
title_fullStr |
Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural Power |
title_full_unstemmed |
Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural Power |
title_sort |
Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural Power |
author |
Flensburg, Sofie |
author_facet |
Flensburg, Sofie Lai, Signe Sophus |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Lai, Signe Sophus |
author2_role |
author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Flensburg, Sofie Lai, Signe Sophus |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
critical data studies; data economy; infrastructural power; internet infrastructures; political economy |
topic |
critical data studies; data economy; infrastructural power; internet infrastructures; political economy |
description |
Recalling the well-known strategy of “following the money” when investigating the underlying power structures and business models of legacy media, this article argues that studies of digital political economies can benefit instead from following the data. Combining perspectives from critical data studies and infrastructure research, we first discuss how direct money flows can be difficult to trace in digital ecosystems, creating a need for alternative analytical approaches for studying and scrutinising contemporary power configurations in digital societies. As a theoretical backdrop, we elaborate on the concept of infrastructural power and apply it in a walkthrough of critical data infrastructures. To illustrate the efficacy of this strategy, we provide perspectives and examples from the political economies of internet infrastructures in Northern Europe and discuss how control over data is translated into economic profit and societal power. In doing so, we argue that increased attention to data infrastructures is needed to advance both critical data and infrastructure studies, improve digital market monitoring, and ground future regulation and policy. |
publishDate |
2023 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2023-06-28 |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i2.6464 https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i2.6464 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i2.6464 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6464 https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6464/6464 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2023 Sofie Flensburg, Signe Sophus Lai info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
rights_invalid_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2023 Sofie Flensburg, Signe Sophus Lai |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Cogitatio Press |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Cogitatio Press |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Media and Communication; Vol 11, No 2 (2023): A Datafied Society: Data Power, Infrastructures, and Regulations; 319-329 2183-2439 reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação instacron:RCAAP |
instname_str |
Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
instacron_str |
RCAAP |
institution |
RCAAP |
reponame_str |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
collection |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
repository.mail.fl_str_mv |
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1799131684611817472 |