Data-Doubles

Data-doubles are purely virtual objects designed to supplant and/or supplement an individual’s biological identity. Developed as an end point for data collection, through new surveillance techniques and technologies, data-doubles consist of any digital information derived from or created by observing the activity, movements, and interactions of human subjects. The data are transmitted as information flows to different databases around the world, which are subsequently reassembled into readable, scrutinized profiles. These profiles are generated continuously through progressive surveillance conducted by governments, security regimes, corporations, international organizations, and other entities across the globe. Data-doubles are thus recursively constructed and mobilized between actors and entities as more and more information is created or made available to a given surveillance regime. Due to the ubiquity of networks, surveillance, and ...