Definition:
Data exploitation is the extraction and use of personal or behavioural data for profit, control, or advantage beyond the reasonable expectations or meaningful consent of the individuals it is taken from.
Usage Context:
Seen in digital platforms, advertising technology, surveillance systems, data brokerage, workplace monitoring, and algorithmic decision-making.
Critical Note:
Data exploitation is often framed as personalisation, optimisation, or service improvement. In practice, it converts lived experience into an extractable resource, concentrates power in data-holding institutions, and exposes individuals to manipulation, exclusion, or harm without proportional benefit or recourse.
Related Terms:
Surveillance Capitalism, Behavioural Tracking, Privacy Erosion, Algorithmic Identity, Value Extraction