What are the larger transformations at work here? Consumer activity has rarely been exempt from some form of observation, even in the traditional open-air market. But the decisive shift came in the 2010s with the convergent growth of social media platforms, connected mobile devices, and ever more sophisticated “smart environments” that made possible something close to “autonomous” surveillance.

Nick Couldry & Ulises A. Mejias, The Costs of Connection, loc. 513