Acting on data(fiction)

Abstract

The ongoing process of datafication represents a fundamental paradigm shift in the way we conceive of citizenship and civic life. People increasingly engage in forms of civic engagement that interrogate such paradigm shift. These innovative instances of collective action acting on data(fication) can be seen as manifestations of data activism, including, e.g., affirmative engagement with data as well as resistance to massive surveillance. Such practices are rooted on data and software, and involve both individuals and groups, moving beyond the expert niche of hackers to embrace broader publics. Dialoguing with the sociology of social movements, media studies, and critical data studies, this essay explores grassroots data politics seen as data practices emerging around data infrastructure. It illustrates tactics, technical identities, and the relation between software and the prefigurative politics of data activists. It analyses how we ought to adapt our understanding of media practice to capture contemporary changes in the nature of technology and information, broadening our understanding of ‘acting on’ datafication by grounding it on software and a novel understanding of information. It concludes by reflecting on the notion of ‘data assemblages’ as a fruitful addition to our interpretation of (media) practice in the age of datafication.

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