Every day, billions of people rely on technologies from Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon and Apple to navigate the world. We use them to communicate, work, shop, find information and stay entertained. But, according to media researcher Bjorn Beijnon, these technologies are doing far more than helping us get things done: they are increasingly shaping how we understand ourselves and the world around us. Beijnon will defend his PhD on the subject at the University of Amsterdam on 19 June.
'Big Tech doesn't just collect data about us,' says Beijnon. 'Together, these technologies form platform ecosystems that continuously use that data to guide attention. We often think of data as simply describing who we are, but it can also become a powerful force in shaping who we become.'
From users to "data subjects"
Beijnon's research focuses on the platform infrastructures behind the world's largest technology companies. Every search, click, swipe and purchase generates data that can be analysed and used to predict future behaviour.
But, says Beijnon, these predictions are not passive observations. They actively shape what people encounter online, from recommended videos and news stories to advertisements, notifications and purchasing suggestions.
The dissertation introduces the concept of the "data subject": a person who is used to turning their life into data points in response to platform triggers, but who still sees themselves as in control over their own behaviours, attitudes and future choices.
'People are constantly being presented with algorithmic interpretations of who they are,' Beijnon explains. 'Over time, these profiles can start to feel true. They influence what opportunities become visible, what information receives attention and how people understand themselves.'
The power of convenience
One of the central points of the research is that platform power often operates invisibly. Rather than issuing commands, technologies that are labelled as "smart", such as phones, speakers or watches, steer behaviour through design choices that feel convenient or natural. 'Power today often works through convenience,' says Beijnon. 'The most effective forms of influence are not experienced as coercion. They are experienced as helpful suggestions.'
Beijnon argues that this represents a shift in how power operates in digital societies. Instead of controlling people through rules and restrictions, platforms increasingly shape behaviour by continuously adjusting the digital environments in which decisions are made.
When reality becomes personalised
To investigate the effects of these systems in everyday life, Beijnon conducted extensive fieldwork over a twelve-month period. He studied both a Dutch conspiracy community and a community of users building alternatives to mainstream social media through the decentralised Fediverse network (a network of independent social media platforms that communicate seamlessly).
He found that personalised information environments can have profound consequences for how people perceive reality. In some cases, algorithmically curated content can reinforce existing beliefs and contribute to fragmented understandings of the world.
At the same time, the research also identified alternative approaches. Communities within the Fediverse are experimenting with digital spaces that prioritise transparency, collective governance and public values rather than data extraction and advertising revenue.
A debate that goes beyond privacy
While concerns about privacy often dominate discussions about technology, Beijnon argues that the broader question is how digital infrastructures are reshaping society itself.
His research explores how platforms influence public debate, social relationships, political participation and everyday decision-making. It suggests that the growing power of technology companies raises fundamental questions about who controls the digital environments in which modern life unfolds.
'Much of contemporary life takes place through platforms owned by a handful of companies,' says Beijnon. 'That means questions about technology are also questions about democracy, autonomy and power.'
As governments around the world seek to regulate large technology companies, Beijnon's research offers new insights into how platform ecosystems shape everyday experience, and why understanding that influence matters for the future of digital society.
Defence details
Bjorn Beijnon, 'Data Subjects of Big Tech. The Cultural Logic of Contemporary Surveillance Cultures'. Supervisor is Prof. P.P.R.W. Pisters. The co-supervisor is Dr M.D. Tuters.
