Facebook makes clear that the shadow text is not available to users, despite the promotion of its self-service download tools that promise to give users access to their personal data retained by the company. Indeed, the competitive dynamics of surveillance capitalism make the shadow text a crucial proprietary source of advantage. Any attempt to breach its content will be experienced as an existential threat; no surveillance capitalist will voluntarily provide data from the shadow text. Only law can compel this challenge to the pathological division of learning.

Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Cap…, loc. 1544