Data as an Extracted Resource
Ximena downloads a free flashlight app for her cell phone. She didn't pay anything, but the app asked for access to her contacts and her location. Was it really free? If she didn't pay with money, what did she pay with? We answer this at the end of the page.
An analogy: mines and data
For centuries, silver, gold, and other minerals were extracted from many territories. Whoever did the extracting took the raw material, processed it somewhere else, and kept almost all of the value. The communities of origin were usually left with the consequences, not the profits.
Today something similar happens with data. Every time you use a cell phone, a social network, or a map, you generate data: where you are, what you search for, who you talk to, what you watch, and for how long. Some corporations collect it in huge amounts and use it as if it were raw material.
The analogy doesn't say the two are identical: nobody loses their land by giving away their location. It says the structure is similar: some extract, others provide the raw material, and the value is concentrated in whoever does the processing.
For centuries minerals were extracted from territories without the communities benefiting; today some companies extract data from people in a similar way. Explain the…
For centuries minerals were extracted from territories without the communities benefiting; today some companies extract data from people in a similar way. Explain the analogy: who extracts, what is extracted, what the person gets in return and who keeps the value that is generated.
What data is extracted
It's not only what you type. The data you leave behind without realizing it also counts.
| Type of data | Examples | What it reveals |
|---|---|---|
| Data you hand over | name, age, photos, messages | who you are |
| Behavioral data | what you watch, for how long, what you buy | your tastes and habits |
| Location data | routes, where you sleep, where you study | your routine |
| Data from your surroundings | contacts, calendar, microphone | who you spend time with |
A single piece of data on its own seems harmless. Lots of data put together lets someone guess your routine, your interests, your income level, or even your mood. That is what has value.
What data is used for
Data is turned into money in several ways:
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Targeted advertising: showing you ads based on your profile.
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Selling or exchanging profiles with other companies.
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Training systems (recommendations, artificial intelligence) that are later sold as services.
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Calculating risk, for example to offer or deny credit.
The companies that accumulate the most data tend to be in just a few countries, while data is generated all over the world, including in Mexico. This connects to technological dependence: we depend on infrastructure and knowledge from abroad, and decisions about our data are made far away.
Analyzing a free app
To decide whether an app asks for too much, compare what it asks for with what it needs in order to work.
A free flashlight app asks for access to your contacts, your location and your microphone. Analyze which data it could commodify and for what purposes, and write two…
A free flashlight app asks for access to your contacts, your location and your microphone. Analyze which data it could commodify and for what purposes, and write two questions worth asking before installing any free app.