[2019-09] New Understanding of Personal Data as the Product of Free Labor
Ahn, Hyerim Moon Soul Graduate School of Future Strategy, KAIST
Seo, Yongseok Moon Soul Graduate School of Future Strategy, KAIST
ABSTRACT Personal data is the source to create great value today. However, not subjects of personal data but organizations have mainly collected and utilized personal data until now. In this study, we suggest a new perspective to understand personal data highlighting the structure of the Internet where free labor is exploited unlike the previous studies which tried to compensate personal data in terms of information privacy or asset. The reason that companies can monopolize personal data is in the privatization and commercialization of the Internet. Immaterial labor is transformed into free labor in the online platforms owned by enterprises and the product of free labor are captured by the platforms in the form of personal data. Thus, personal data is the product of free labor and can become the quantitative basis for demonstrating immaterial contributions of people. The compensation for data subjects should be the compensation for labor, not data itself and reflect the nature of the collective social labor. |