‘I’ll Be Watching You’: A Social Cognitive Theory Perspective of Citizens’ Relationship with Surveillance Capitalism

Advancements in data storage and computation have brought new opportunities for corporations to better understand consumer behaviour online. Principal among this is the widespread adoption of ‘surveillance capitalism’ practices, where data analytics are utilised to profile users and promote desired outcomes for commercial gain. Nevertheless, the ethics of such practices have been questioned by regulatory bodies, academics, and civil society, with some contemplating whether data privacy is even possible in today’s 'always online' world. In this paper, we draw on findings from a citizen engagement study involving 16-hours of focus groups where citizens explored their relationship with surveillance capitalism. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory, we reveal how citizens monitor (self reactiveness), evaluate (self-reflectiveness), and control (self-efficacy) their relationship with surveillance capitalism as well as their thoughts and feelings on the surreptitious analysis of data for commercial gain. Discussions centre on the consequences of these practices across different contexts of occurrence. Possible mitigation mechanisms are also pointed towards in the form of new governance mechanisms for ensuring integrity and transparency going forward.