The surveillance capitalists reverse the normal sequence of theory and practice. Their practices move ahead at high velocity in the absence of an explicit and contestable theory. They specialize in displays of instrumentarianism’s unique brand of shock and awe, leaving onlookers dazed, uncertain, and helpless. The absence of a clear articulation of their theory leaves the rest of us to ponder its practical effects: the vehicular monitoring system that shuts down your engine; the destination that appears with the route; the suggested purchase that flashes on your phone the moment your endorphins peak; Big Other’s continuous tracking of your location, behavior, and mood; and its cheerful herding of city dwellers toward surveillance capitalism’s customers.

Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Cap…, loc. 1292