The Cost of Connection: How Data Is Colonizing Human Life and Appropriating It for Capitalism
1.Based on the content of the article, which of the following statements about data colonialism is incorrect?
A. Data colonialism is a contemporary continuation of historical colonialism, which violently plunders geographic resources. Data colonialism uses technology as a tool to transform human multidimensional life into accessible data resources
B. The core of data colonialism is the simple act of data collection, where individuals voluntarily authorize the use of their personal data, which is a typical feature of data colonialism
C. Data colonialism will give legitimacy to the exploitation of data by capital through narratives such as "personalized services" and "technological progress"
D. Resisting data colonialism is an important path to safeguard individual human subjectivity and prevent life from becoming completely subservient to capital
Reference answers and analysis
2.What are the four core elements of historical colonialism, which data colonialism continues?
A. Data storage, algorithmic bias, surveillance technology, and market competition.
B. Resource plundering, unequal socio-economic relationships, global benefit imbalance, and ideological justification.
C. Digital identity theft, corporate monopoly, consumer manipulation, and political propaganda.
D. Land ownership, religious conversion, military occupation, and cultural assimilation.
3.Which real-world example does the article use to illustrate that companies often disguise surveillance as a positive feature?
A. Facebook’s newsfeed algorithm.
B. Verizon Wireless selling location data to shopping centers.
C. Facefirst promoting facial recognition for “a safer and more personalized world.”
D. Google’s search engine tracking click-through rates.
4.According to the second speaker what is the core function of a "data relationship"?
A. To make the collection of human data seem normal and natural
B. To help governments share knowledge with businesses equally
C. To eliminate social inequality through technology
D. To give users full control over their personal information
5.Which statement best describes the global distribution of economic power in data colonialism?
A. European companies now dominate global data collection
B. Power is evenly distributed among all countries
C. American companies and a small number of Chinese companies hold a dominant position
D. Only Chinese companies control global data infrastructure
6.Why does the author argue that data colonialism should not be seen as only a Western project?
A. Because Western countries have rejected data collection entirely
B. Because Europe has banned all forms of digital surveillance
C. Because only African and Asian countries practice data colonialism
D. Because China is equally (or even more) affected by and involved in data acquisition
7.Based on the above content, which of the following statements about the platform’s role in stabilizing capitalism is correct?
A. The core function of platforms is to provide free social and transaction services for users, and data extraction is only their secondary commercial behavior.
B. The "seamless data flow" built by platforms is a natural result of technological development, irrelevant to capital’s extraction demands.
C. Relying on the "network effect", platforms become social infrastructure, which is an important reason for the normalization of data relations.
D. Platforms realize power centralization only at the economic level and do not participate in the control of social life.
8.How do digital platforms build a barrier-free data flow system?
A. By limiting data collection to a single platform
B. Through plug-ins, cross-platform linkage, and unified login entrances
C. By asking users for permission before every data transfer
D. Through government regulations that require data sharing
9.Why do digital platforms become core social infrastructure under data colonialism?
A. Because network effects make platforms indispensable, and their rules shape users' habits and social norms
B. Because state institutions have completely disappeared
C. Because platforms do not collect any personal information
D. Because users are paid fairly for every piece of data they share
10.
What new form of power do digital platforms centralize, according to the text?
A. Political voting power
B. Religious authority over moral behavior
C. Military control over physical territories
D. The power to set data extraction rules and shape users' cognition through algorithms
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