Web 2.0, Prosumption, and Surveillance

“Web 2.0” platforms such as YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter that focus on data sharing, communication, community, and co-production have become very popular. It is therefore important to understand the economic organization of these platforms. The discussion of surveillance in web 2.0 is important because such platforms collect huge amounts of personal data in order to work. In this paper, first the example of Google Buzz is discussed. Then, a model that conceptualizes the cycle of capital accumulation and distinguishes between production and circulation of capital is introduced. The role of surveillance in web 2.0 is outlined based on the cycle of capital accumulation. The notions of the Internet prosumer commodity and web 2.0 surveillance are introduced in order to characterize the relationship of production, consumption, and surveillance on web 2.0.