Surveillance, Control and Consent: A Survey of Data Privacy and Governance in the Age of Platform Society

Abstract

In the digital age, platform-based technologies such as social media, search engines, and mobile applications have become central to everyday life. These platforms collect, process, and monetize massive amounts of personal data, often in ways that users neither fully understand nor explicitly consent to. This paper investigates the evolving dynamics of surveillance, control, and consent within the broader context of the platform society. It focuses on how digital platforms act as powerful intermediaries that shape social behaviour, economic participation, and political engagement through algorithmic design and data governance practices. Drawing on interdisciplinary sources from media studies, data ethics, and political economy, the study highlights how surveillance has shifted from state-led monitoring to a complex ecosystem driven by corporate interests. This shift has resulted in new forms of asymmetrical power, where users are constantly tracked, profiled, and nudged without meaningful opportunities for resistance or withdrawal. The paper also explores how the concept of consent is undermined by opaque data policies, interface manipulation, and legal loopholes that prioritize business models over user autonomy. Furthermore, it evaluates emerging frameworks of data privacy regulation, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and their effectiveness in holding platforms accountable. Special attention is given to the socio-political implications of data governance, including issues of digital inequality, algorithmic bias, and surveillance capitalism. By surveying recent developments in data governance and user rights, this paper aims to clarify the ethical and legal complexities of digital surveillance and control. It concludes by advocating for stronger regulatory mechanisms, greater transparency, and user-centred approaches to data consent and privacy, to ensure a more democratic and fair digital society in the age of platforms.