Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural Power
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 st...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cogitatio
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Media and Communication |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6464 |
| _version_ | 1797793870987132928 |
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| author | Sofie Flensburg Signe Sophus Lai |
| author_facet | Sofie Flensburg Signe Sophus Lai |
| author_sort | Sofie Flensburg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T02:54:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6bfa342ea33748c293b9fca0ddc5f284 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2183-2439 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T02:54:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Cogitatio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Media and Communication |
| spelling | doaj.art-6bfa342ea33748c293b9fca0ddc5f2842023-06-28T07:33:45ZengCogitatioMedia and Communication2183-24392023-06-0111231932910.17645/mac.v11i2.64643000Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural PowerSofie Flensburg0Signe Sophus Lai1Center for Tracking and Society, University of Copenhagen, DenmarkCenter for Tracking and Society, University of Copenhagen, DenmarkRecalling 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.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6464critical data studiesdata economyinfrastructural powerinternet infrastructurespolitical economy |
| spellingShingle | Sofie Flensburg Signe Sophus Lai Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural Power Media and Communication critical data studies data economy infrastructural power internet infrastructures political economy |
| title | 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_short | Follow the Data! A Strategy for Tracing Infrastructural Power |
| title_sort | follow the data a strategy for tracing infrastructural power |
| topic | critical data studies data economy infrastructural power internet infrastructures political economy |
| url | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6464 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sofieflensburg followthedataastrategyfortracinginfrastructuralpower AT signesophuslai followthedataastrategyfortracinginfrastructuralpower |