"Surveillance Capitalism" refers to practice companies like Facebook and Google use to collect and sell users' information. A short video from PBS reveals how that business model works and then asks viewers to consider whether that practice should be illegal. The video considers the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy law being developed by the European Union that is design to oppose Surveillance Capitalism.

Concepts

facebook, the fourth amendment, privacy, property rights, the united states constitution, capitalism, digital citizenship, intellectual property, the bill of rights

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Ask class members to research the privacy policies of the platforms they use to share information, including Facebook, Google, and Instagram
• Direct pupils to check the information Facebook has on them
• Track the course of the GDPR over the course of the school year

Classroom Considerations

• Part of the BPS "American From Scratch" series

Pros

• The video looks at how European Union countries are developing the General Data Protection Regulation, a law designed to protect users' privacy

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.3 SL.11-12.3