Chinese Social Media and Big Data: Big Data, Big Brother, Big Profit?

• Published in: Policy and internet 2018-12, Vol.10 (4), p.372-392
• Main Authors: Jiang, Min, Fu, King‐Wa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Authoritarianism; Big Data; business; China; Chinese Internet; Conversation; Cultural factors; Data management; Digital media; Economics; Epistemology; Ethics; gobierno; government; Internet; Internet chino; Mass media; Nationalism; negocios; politics; política; redes sociales; sistema de crédito social; social credit system; Social media; Social networks; surveillance; vigilancia; ética; 中国; 中国互联网; 商业; 大数据; 政府; 政治; 监控; 社交媒体; 社会信用体系; 道德标准
• ISSN: 1944-2866; 2194-6019; 1944-2866
• DOI: 10.1002/poi3.187

Chinese social media and big data represent an important share of the global Internet, but have received relatively less attention. This editorial examines three dominant discourses based on China's distinctive and complex political, economic and social realities: “Big Data” (technical focus), “Big Brother” (political focus), and “Big Profit” (economic focus). We argue that the prevailing discourse and practice of big data in China is largely technocentric, decontextualized and nonreflexive, and much less attuned to the social, political, cultural, epistemological, and ethical implications of big data that a humancentric approach would demand. Second, the authoritarian Chinese state poses incredible political challenges to big data research and practice. Third, the practice of Chinese social media and big data is imbued with a discourse of technological nationalism, driven by a handful of monopolistic “national champions.” Despite contention, the state and market players have formed a largely mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship to maximize their political and economic gains. We argue a comparative perspective to foster a global conversation on social media and big data is necessary in order to formulate collective responses to such challenges. 抽象 中国社交媒体和大数据在全球互联网中占据了重要部分, 但其受到的关注却相对较少。本篇社论考察了三大主导话语, 这三者基于中国独特而又复杂的政治现实、经济现实和社会现实。它们分别是: “大数据”(技术焦点)、“老大哥”(政治焦点)、“大利润”(经济焦点)。笔者主张, 中国大数据的普遍话语和实践在很大程度上都是以技术为中心、去语境化、不具备反思性 在很大程度上它的社会、政治、文化、认识论和道德标准与以人为本的大数据视角相违背。其次, 实行威权主义的中国对大数据研究和实践产生了极大的政治挑战。中国社交媒体和大数据实践充满了一种技术民族主义话语, 这一话语为少数实行垄断的“国家龙头企业”驱动。国家参与者和市场参与者虽然有时利益相左但它们已形成了一种互利共生的关系, 从而取得政治利益和经济利益最大化。笔者主张, 需要以一种比较的视角来促进全球在社交媒体和大数据上的交流, 从而对上述挑战形成集体响应。 Resumen Las redes sociales chinas y los grandes datos representan una parte importante de Internet global, pero han recibido relativamente menos atención. Este editorial examina tres discursos dominantes basados en las realidades políticas, económicas y sociales distintivas y complejas de China: “Big Data” (enfoque técnico), “Big Brother” (enfoque político) y “Big Profit” (enfoque económico). Argumentamos que el discurso y la práctica predominantes del Big Data en China es en gran medida tecnocéntrico, descontextualizado y no reflexivo, y mucho menos acorde con las implicaciones sociales, políticas, culturales, epistemológicas y éticas del Big Data que un ser humano −el enfoque céntrico exigiría. En segundo lugar, el estado autoritario chino plantea desafíos políticos increíbles para la investigación y la práctica