When Shoshana Zuboff, Professor Emerita at Harvard University, published The Age of Surveillance Capitalism in 2019, she did more than criticize the excesses of the digital world. She proposed a new theory to explain a profound transformation of contemporary capitalism. In 2025, as generative artificial intelligence and predictive marketing have reached an unprecedented level of maturity, Zuboff’s analytical framework appears more relevant than ever for understanding the foundations of today’s digital economy.
Extracting human experience
The core idea of Zuboff’s work is the concept of behavioral surplus. She explains how major technology companies, starting with Google and later Facebook, developed an economic model based on the large-scale collection of data generated by human experience.
In industrial capitalism, human labor was used to transform nature into goods. In surveillance capitalism, human behavior itself becomes a free raw material. While part of this data is used to improve user experience, most of the surplus is processed by artificial intelligence systems to create predictive products.
What marketing professionals often describe as “personalization” is defined by Zuboff as a market for future behavior, where the goal is no longer only to understand users, but to anticipate and influence their actions.
From surveillance to influence : instrumental power
One of the most important contributions of the book is the concept of instrumentarian power. Unlike traditional totalitarian systems based on fear and coercion, surveillance capitalism operates through knowledge and prediction.
This form of power does not aim to control individuals through force, but to subtly shape their behavior in an invisible and continuous way. The objective is not ideological, but economic: guiding human actions toward profitable outcomes. According to Zuboff, this system is not interested in beliefs or intentions, but in observable and measurable behavior.
The book also shows how this logic extends beyond digital platforms to smart cities, connected homes and virtual assistants. In 2025, this process has intensified : artificial intelligence no longer analyzes only clicks or searches, but anticipates needs before individuals are fully aware of them.
Is this model sustainable for business ?
Zuboff strongly criticizes this system and describes it as a form of predatory capitalism, based on the invasion of privacy. She introduces the idea of the “right to the future tense,” meaning the ability of individuals to act freely without having their behavior predicted and shaped in advance.
From a marketing and business perspective, this raises a fundamental ethical question: can long-term growth be built on the loss of individual autonomy ? The certainty promised by predictive models is achieved through a strong imbalance of power between platforms and users. The real cost of so-called “free” digital services is not financial, but behavioral.
Zuboff’s relevance in 2025 : the age of massive AI
Six years after its publication, Zuboff’s framework appears almost prophetic. Although the book was written before the rise of generative AI, its concepts apply clearly to today’s technological environment.
Large language models and predictive systems can be seen as accelerators of behavioral surplus, capable of absorbing large amounts of human data to create economic value. At the same time, new regulatory initiatives, such as the European AI Act and responsible AI indexes, confirm one of Zuboff’s key ideas: without political regulation, the market does not regulate itself.
In 2025, the line between helping consumers and manipulating their behavior has become increasingly unclear. Zuboff’s work forces marketing professionals to question their role: should marketing guide behavior or genuinely serve user needs ?
Personal perspective and implications for future marketers
Zuboff’s analysis helps readers move beyond a naïve view of technology. Her work acts as a form of intellectual self-defense by naming processes that often remain invisible. The most concerning issue is not simply being observed, but being gradually shaped to fit market needs.
However, the book also offers a possible path forward. Zuboff calls for a renewal of entrepreneurial practices. For future digital leaders, this means creating value while respecting privacy, transparency and user autonomy. In 2025, these principles represent strong opportunities for differentiation and trust-building for brands.
Strengths of the book
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- Strong academic rigor that challenges dominant Big Tech narratives
- A holistic approach linking economics, technology and psychology
- A powerful reflection on democracy and individual sovereignty
Limitations
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- A dense and sometimes repetitive writing style
- A very pessimistic perspective that leaves limited space for the positive uses of data (health, research)
Conclusion : a critical guide for digital professionals
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism is more than a critique of digital platforms. It offers a diagnosis of an economic system where value is extracted directly from human experience. In 2025, the main challenge for businesses is no longer how to collect data, but why and to what extent. The future of digital business depends on the ability to combine economic performance with respect for human autonomy.