"We colect data for your own good" The rhetorical trick of data imaginary promoted in terms of use, privacy documents and investor reports of Fitbit platform

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/1807-9288.2020v16n1p157

Abstract

We map the meaning and qualities attributed to the word “data” used in documents addressed to users and investors of Fitbit, the third largest platform in the global wearables industry. We analyzed the financial report (IPO) of the brand's first year in the stock market, the terms of use and privacy. The documents were explored in the Atlas.ti software. The findings points that despite the fact of media discourse addressed to users emphasize the benefits of sharing body personal data through Fitbit system, the message sent to investor is that the personal data security assurance, governmental interests in data accessibility and regulatory policies represent risks to the company’s business. We argue that official narratives draw a data imaginary as a rhetorical trick which hide the brand's political-economic network, risks, and agendas of interest while strengthening the datafication practices that support the platform's business model.

Author Biography

Elias Cunha Bitencourt, Universidade do Estado da Bahia UNEB Universidade Federal da Bahia UFBA

Doutor em comunicação pela Faculdade de Comunicação FACOM/UFBA, com estágio sanduíche no Milieux Center/Concordia University, Canadá (CAPES/PDSE 88881.135543/2016-1); professor permanente no Programa de Pós-graduação em comunicação (POSCOM/UFBA); professor Assistente em regime de dedicação exclusiva na Universidade do Estado da Bahia - UNEB (2009 -presente momento). Mestre em cultura e sociedade pelo Instituto de Artes e Humanidades IHAC/UFBA (2014), especialista em design de interfaces pela Unifacs (2004), graduado em Desenho industrial com habilitação em programação visual pela Universidade do Estado da Bahia (2003). Atua como pesquisador nos grupos Comunidades Virtuais/UNEB e Lab404/UFBA. Atualmente, dedica-se às investigações nos campos: sociologia digital, métodos digitais, cultura digital, Teoria Ator-Rede e New Materialism. Os principais objetos de interesse e pesquisa são: a mediação algorítmica e a dataficação do cotidiano mobilizadas pelas redes de Internet das Coisas (IoT) e plataformas digitais.

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Published

2020-07-31

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Vol. 16 No. 1 (2020)

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