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The Private Is Political: Identity and Democracy in the Age of Surveillance Capitalism
Exposes the threats to our personal and political identity in the age of surveillanceIt has become alarmingly clear that our online actions are less private than we’re led to believe. Our data is routinely sold and shared with companies who want to sell us something, political actors who want to analyze our behavior, and law enforcement who seek to limit our actions.The Private is Political explores the failure of existing legal systems and institutions to protect our online presence and identities. Examining the ways in which the digital space is under threat from both governments and private actors, Ray Brescia reveals how the rise of private surveillance prevents individuals from organizing with others who might help to catalyze change in their lives. Brescia argues that we are not far from a world where surveillance chills not just our speech, but our very identities. This will ultimately stifle our ability to live full lives, realize democracy, and even shape the laws that affect our privacy itself.Beyond merely identifying the harms to individuals from privacy violations, Brescia furthers our understanding of privacy by identifying and naming political privacy and the integrity of identity as central to democracy. The Private is Political empowers consumers by outlining a roadmap for a comprehensive privacy regime, leveraging various institutions to collectively safeguard privacy rights.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 21, 2025
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48 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 5, 2024
Thank you to both #NetGalley and NYU Press for providing me an advance copy of renowned civil rights lawyer Ray Brescia’s latest #nonfiction work, The Private is Political: Identity and Democracy in the Age of Surveillance Capitalism, in exchange for an honest review.
#ThePrivateIsPolitical is yet another #nonfiction work scrutinizing the havoc that the sale of personal data (or information) wreaks on individuals, as well as the threat such activities pose to our democracy. The book proffers a roadmap to a comprehensive privacy regime that would empower consumers by leveraging various institutions to collectively safeguard privacy rights. Given the format, the length, and the proposals for potential solutions, the material reads similarly to a law journal note.
The book serves as a good general introduction to the subject and is recommended reading for either novices eager to learn more about the topic, or as a casebook for law students. While short in terms of chapters and a regurgitation for those who are familiar or experts in the space, the introduction, notes, and footnotes are well researched and can serve as good resources since they reference other well-known privacy works and incidents in the space.
Overall, solid reading for those interested in how privacy and data affect the political realm, or if looking for a refresher on such subjects. Otherwise, experts will note that many of the ideas and solutions have been proposed in this and adjacent spaces (e.g., metaverse), and there is nothing new under the sun here that has not already been part of the discussion for quite some time.
#ThePrivateIsPolitical is yet another #nonfiction work scrutinizing the havoc that the sale of personal data (or information) wreaks on individuals, as well as the threat such activities pose to our democracy. The book proffers a roadmap to a comprehensive privacy regime that would empower consumers by leveraging various institutions to collectively safeguard privacy rights. Given the format, the length, and the proposals for potential solutions, the material reads similarly to a law journal note.
The book serves as a good general introduction to the subject and is recommended reading for either novices eager to learn more about the topic, or as a casebook for law students. While short in terms of chapters and a regurgitation for those who are familiar or experts in the space, the introduction, notes, and footnotes are well researched and can serve as good resources since they reference other well-known privacy works and incidents in the space.
Overall, solid reading for those interested in how privacy and data affect the political realm, or if looking for a refresher on such subjects. Otherwise, experts will note that many of the ideas and solutions have been proposed in this and adjacent spaces (e.g., metaverse), and there is nothing new under the sun here that has not already been part of the discussion for quite some time.
July 9, 2025
Real Rating: 4.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Exposes the threats to our personal and political identity in the age of surveillance
It has become alarmingly clear that our online actions are less private than we’re led to believe. Our data is routinely sold and shared with companies who want to sell us something, political actors who want to analyze our behavior, and law enforcement who seek to limit our actions.
The Private is Political explores the failure of existing legal systems and institutions to protect our online presence and identities. Examining the ways in which the digital space is under threat from both governments and private actors, Ray Brescia reveals how the rise of private surveillance prevents individuals from organizing with others who might help to catalyze change in their lives. Brescia argues that we are not far from a world where surveillance chills not just our speech, but our very identities. This will ultimately stifle our ability to live full lives, realize democracy, and even shape the laws that affect our privacy itself.
Beyond merely identifying the harms to individuals from privacy violations, Brescia furthers our understanding of privacy by identifying and naming political privacy and the integrity of identity as central to democracy.
The Private is Political empowers consumers by outlining a roadmap for a comprehensive privacy regime, leveraging various institutions to collectively safeguard privacy rights.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Author Ray Brescia is well-known for his activities in public-interest legal matters. If anyone knows, from long professional experience, what "Their" endgame is with the surveillance-capitalism regime we have so blithely and unthinkingly accepted, it is him.
His chosen format of shorter chapters that read like trimmed law-journal essays, copious notes, and a solid, real-world grounding in where and why there are leverage points on both sides of his argument, Author Brescia is doing everyone on the internet a huge favor. While we have been dreading state surveillance, corporations sell us the very tools that, in state hands, would have the MAGAts in the streets. Google is not a state entity, but arguably has even more data about you than Amazon. Both want to pick your pockets after picking your brain so hard there's little left in it they do not directly know, or can with high confidence infer.
Author Brescia's gift is laying out the steps of gaining his knowledge. He understands the systems of lawmaking and enforcement, sees the careful designs for encroaching on our personal autonomy, and leads the reader along as he pulls aside decades of distracting obfuscation to show us what the plan truly is.
There might still be time to heed Author Brescia's warnings. I'll leave it to you to spend your time, even your treasure if you have it, learning some pressure points you can use or demand your legislators use.
The Publisher Says: Exposes the threats to our personal and political identity in the age of surveillance
It has become alarmingly clear that our online actions are less private than we’re led to believe. Our data is routinely sold and shared with companies who want to sell us something, political actors who want to analyze our behavior, and law enforcement who seek to limit our actions.
The Private is Political explores the failure of existing legal systems and institutions to protect our online presence and identities. Examining the ways in which the digital space is under threat from both governments and private actors, Ray Brescia reveals how the rise of private surveillance prevents individuals from organizing with others who might help to catalyze change in their lives. Brescia argues that we are not far from a world where surveillance chills not just our speech, but our very identities. This will ultimately stifle our ability to live full lives, realize democracy, and even shape the laws that affect our privacy itself.
Beyond merely identifying the harms to individuals from privacy violations, Brescia furthers our understanding of privacy by identifying and naming political privacy and the integrity of identity as central to democracy.
The Private is Political empowers consumers by outlining a roadmap for a comprehensive privacy regime, leveraging various institutions to collectively safeguard privacy rights.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Author Ray Brescia is well-known for his activities in public-interest legal matters. If anyone knows, from long professional experience, what "Their" endgame is with the surveillance-capitalism regime we have so blithely and unthinkingly accepted, it is him.
His chosen format of shorter chapters that read like trimmed law-journal essays, copious notes, and a solid, real-world grounding in where and why there are leverage points on both sides of his argument, Author Brescia is doing everyone on the internet a huge favor. While we have been dreading state surveillance, corporations sell us the very tools that, in state hands, would have the MAGAts in the streets. Google is not a state entity, but arguably has even more data about you than Amazon. Both want to pick your pockets after picking your brain so hard there's little left in it they do not directly know, or can with high confidence infer.
Author Brescia's gift is laying out the steps of gaining his knowledge. He understands the systems of lawmaking and enforcement, sees the careful designs for encroaching on our personal autonomy, and leads the reader along as he pulls aside decades of distracting obfuscation to show us what the plan truly is.
There might still be time to heed Author Brescia's warnings. I'll leave it to you to spend your time, even your treasure if you have it, learning some pressure points you can use or demand your legislators use.
December 10, 2024
This was a great nonfiction read, solid reading for those interested in how privacy and data affect the political realm.
Thank you to both NetGalley and NYU Press for providing me an ARC.
Thank you to both NetGalley and NYU Press for providing me an ARC.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews