Means of Control
How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government Is Creating a New American Surveillance State
Get The Book — Amazon, Opens in a new window. Other retailers & formats ↓About Means of Control
Byron Tau investigates connections among government agencies, technology companies, and the commercial market for personal data.
The book examines how information generated through ordinary digital activity can be gathered, traded, and used for surveillance. It raises questions about privacy, oversight, and accountability.
Following Chip War, it changes the focus from control of computing infrastructure to control of the information that flows through it.
Why I include it
This is one of the clearest and most unsettling books I’ve read on surveillance in the United States. Tau’s reporting raises serious questions about who controls our data. Pair it with Chip War: influence depends on information as well as infrastructure.
