Profit over Privacy: How Surveillance Advertising Conquered the Internet

Internet advertising has grown rapidly due to the development of the internet, but it is also a result of political and economic engineering. Profit over Privacy by Matthew Crain provides an origin story of how the massive data-collection infrastructure that undergirds the internet today is the result of twenty-five years of technical and political economic engineering. Crain argues that the internet did not have to turn out this way and that it can be remade into something better.

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 05 October 2021
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

The contemporary internet's de facto business model is one of pervasive surveillance. Browser cookies track our every move across the web, Amazon delivers eerily accurate ads, Facebook and Google read our messages and analyze our patterns, and apps record our every action. In Profit over Privacy, Matthew Crain provides an essential origin story for internet surveillance by chronicling the development of its most significant historical catalyst: web advertising.

The first institutional and political history of internet advertising, Profit over Privacy, uses the 1990s as its backdrop to demonstrate how the massive data-collection infrastructure that underpins the internet today is the result of twenty-five years of technical and political-economic engineering. Crain examines the social causes and consequences of the internet's rapid embrace of consumer monitoring, detailing how advertisers and marketers adapted to the existential threat of the internet and marshaled venture capital to develop the now-ubiquitous business model known as "surveillance advertising." He draws on a range of primary resources from government, industry, and the press and highlights the political roots of internet advertising to underscore the necessity of political solutions to reign in unaccountable commercial surveillance.

The dominant business model on the internet, surveillance advertising, is not the inevitable outcome of technological progress. Unlike many other countries, the United States lacks comprehensive internet privacy laws. Profit over Privacy offers a fascinating prehistory of internet advertising giants like Google and Facebook, arguing that the internet did not have to turn out this way and that it can be remade into something better.

The book explores the historical roots of internet advertising, tracing its development from the early days of the web to the present-day landscape. It examines the political and economic factors that have shaped the industry, including the rise of big data, the decline of traditional advertising, and the increasing importance of targeted advertising.

Crain argues that the growth of internet advertising has been driven by a desire for profit rather than by a commitment to privacy. He highlights the ways in which advertisers and marketers have exploited the vast amounts of data collected by web platforms to target consumers with personalized ads, often without their consent. This has led to concerns about the erosion of privacy and the potential for abuse of personal information.

The book also examines the social consequences of internet advertising, including the impact on democracy, social inequality, and mental health. Crain argues that the prevalence of targeted advertising has created a "filter bubble" that isolates individuals from diverse perspectives and reinforces existing biases. This has the potential to undermine the democratic process and exacerbate social divisions.

In response to these concerns, Crain calls for a more robust regulatory framework for internet advertising. He advocates for the creation of new laws and regulations that would protect consumers' privacy and prevent the abuse of personal information. He also suggests that web platforms should be more transparent about the data they collect and how it is used, and that consumers should have more control over their personal information.

Profit over Privacy is a thought-provoking and important book that sheds light on the political roots of internet advertising. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the implications of the growing surveillance economy and the need for meaningful reform.

Dimension: 216 x 140 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781517905040