数据殖民主义的政治经济学批判

Criticism on Data Colonialism from the Perspective of Political Economy

数据殖民主义是殖民主义的最新表现形式,数据和数字平台是数据殖民主义形成并发生作用的两大支点。数据本身并不具有殖民主义属性,只有在数字资本主义主导的社会秩序和数据关系中,数据才成为资本牟利的手段和殖民的工具。数据资源掠夺、数字资本输出、数字商品倾销构成了数据殖民主义的基本形式。相比历史上的殖民主义,数据殖民主义虽然在殖民内容、殖民过程、殖民途径上有所不同,但是依然遵循着资本的增殖逻辑和扩张逻辑,殖民的目的与历史上的殖民主义并无根本上的不同。立足于马克思主义政治经济学的视角,反思和批判数据殖民主义,既要看到数据殖民主义扮演“历史的不自觉的工具”的角色,又要批判其中蕴含的深层数字劳动剥削和日常生活世界的殖民化、数字收益分配不均导致南北贫富拉大、数据拜物教盛行等所引发的社会问题和后果。唯有如此,方可全面把握数据殖民主义的历史脉络和发展走向。

Data colonialism is the latest manifestation of colonialism,and data and digital platform are the two fulcrums that data colonialism forms and comes into play.Data itself does not feature colonialism.Only in the digital capitalism-led social order and data relations,can the data be used for capital profiteering and colonization.Data resource predation,digital capital export and digital commodity dumping are the basic forms of data colonialism.Compared with colonialism in the history,data colonialism still follows the logic of capital proliferation and expansion,though it differs in the content,process and approach of colonization.The purposes of data colonialism are not completely different from those of colonialism in the history.The reflection and criticism on data colonialism should be based on the Marxist political economy.We need to be aware of the role data colonialism plays as the"unconscious tool of history"while criticize the deep level digital labor exploitation and colonization in the daily world,unequal distribution of digital profits leading to the widening gap between the rich and the poor in the north and south and social problems and consequences caused by the prevalence of data fetishism.Only in this way can we have a comprehensive command of the historical context and development trend of data colonialism.