Big Data, Surveillance and Discrimination

“Data is the New Oil” is a catchphrase these days, and companies are seeking to refine the data they collect on customers and workers to maximize their profits. Their data gathering prowess can also be used for more unsavory pursuits. In the context of the organizing campaign at Amazon in Alabama, this panel will explore the impacts of the quest for data on workers, in terms of surveillance, control, discrimination, and discouraging unionization, and how workers can push back through organizing, bargaining, and legislation.