In the predatafication era, the state “enjoyed a unique combination of legal and moral authority to carry out statistical inquiries,” but its exercise was restricted by the frequency with which it could approach its citizens for comprehensive data (for example, a ten-year census) and by the number of permanent categories it could impose (Social Security number, passport number, and so on). The commercial data collection of our times is continuous and on myriad dimensions.

Nick Couldry & Ulises A. Mejias, The Costs of Connection, loc. 388