Datafication

Datafication is a technological trend

turning many aspects of our life into
data[1][2] which is subsequently transferred
into information realised as a new form of
value.[3] Kenneth Cukier and Viktor Mayer-
Schönberger introduced the term
datafication to the broader lexicon in
2013.[4] Up until this time, datafication had
been associated with the analysis of
representations of our lives captured
through data, but not on the present scale.
This change was primarily due to the
impact of big data and the computational
opportunities afforded to predictive
analytics.

Datafication is not the same as

digitization, which takes analog
content—books, films,
photographs—and converts it
into digital information, a
sequence of ones and zeros that
computers can read.
Datafication is a far broader
activity: taking all aspects of life
 and turning them into data [...]
Once we datafy things, we can
transform their purpose and
turn the information into new
forms of value[2]

There is an ideological aspect of

datafication, called dataism: "the drive
towards datafication is rooted in a belief in
the capacity of data to represent social
life, sometimes better or more objectively
than pre-digital (human) interpretations.” [5]

Examples
Examples of datafication as applied to
social and communication media are how
Twitter datafies stray thoughts or
datafication of HR by LinkedIn and others.
Alternative examples are diverse and
include aspects of the built environment,
and design via engineering and or other
tools that tie data to formal, functional or
other physical media outcomes. Data
collection and -processing for optimal
control (e.g. shape optimization) is an
example.

Impact
Human resources
Data obtained from mobile phones, apps
or social media usage is used to identify
potential employees and their specific
characteristics such as risk taking
profile and personality. This data will
replace personality tests. Rather using
the traditional personality tests or the
exams that measure the analytical
thinking, using the data obtained through
datafication will change existing exam
providers. Also, with this data new
personality measures will be
developed.[6][7]
Insurance and Banking
Data is used to understand an
individual's risk profile and likelihood to
pay a loan.
Customer relationship management
 Various industries are using datafication
to understand their customers better
and create appropriate triggers based
on each customer's personality and
behaviour. This data is obtained from
the language and tone a person uses in
emails, phone calls or social medias.[8]

Street lamps in Amsterdam have been upgraded to allow municipal councils to dim the lights based on pedestrian
usage.[9]

Smart city
Through the data obtained from the
sensors that are implemented into the
 smart city, issues that can arise might
be noticed and tackled in areas such as
transportation, waste management,
logistics, and energy. On the basis of
real-time data, commuters could change
their routes when there is a traffic jam.
With the sensors that can measure air
and water quality, cities can not only
gain a more detailed understanding of
the pollution levels, but may also enact
new environmental regulations based on
real-time data.[10]

See also
Digital citizen
Data science
 Digitization/ Digitalization
Digital transformation
Big data
Ethics of artificial intelligence
Big data ethics
Machine learning
Mass surveillance
Surveillance capitalism

References
1. Newell, Sue; Marabelli, Marco (2015).
"Strategic opportunities (and challenges) of
algorithmic decision-making: A call for
action on the long-term societal effects of
'datification' " (https://www.researchgate.ne
 t/publication/315134740) . Journal of
Strategic Information Systems. 24 (1): 3-
14. doi:10.1016/j.jsis.2015.02.001 (https://
doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jsis.2015.02.001) .
Retrieved November 1, 2022.
2. Cukier, Kenneth; Mayer-Schönberger, Viktor
(2013). "The Rise of Big Data" (http://www.f
oreignaffairs.com/articles/139104/kennet
h-neil-cukier-and-viktor-mayer-schoenberge
r/the-rise-of-big-data) . Foreign Affairs
(May/June): 35. Retrieved 24 January
2014.
3. O'Neil, Cathy; Schutt, Rachel (2013). Doing
Data Science. O’Reilly Media. p. 406.
ISBN 978-1-4493-5865-5.
4. Biltgen, Patrick; Ryan, Stephen (1 January
2016). Activity-Based Intelligence:
 Principles and Applications (https://books.
google.com/books?id=KGyPCwAAQBAJ&q
=datafication+applications&pg=PA151)
(1 ed.). Norwood, MA: Artech House.
p. 151. ISBN 978-1-60807-876-9. Retrieved
6 May 2017.
5. Hintz, Arne (2019). Digital citizenship in a
datafied society (https://www.worldcat.org/
oclc/1028901550) . Lina Dencik, Karin
Wahl-Jorgensen. Cambridge, UK. p. 41.
ISBN 978-1-5095-2716-8.
OCLC 1028901550 (https://www.worldcat.
org/oclc/1028901550) .
6. Moore, Melissa. "Turning Personality Into
Data" (https://web.archive.org/web/201711
11042313/https://www.mattersight.com/bl
og/turning-personality-into-data/) .
 Mattersight, The Chemistry of
Conversation. Mattersight Corporation.
Archived from the original (http://www.matt
ersight.com/blog/turning-personality-into-d
ata/) on 11 November 2017. Retrieved
5 May 2017.
7. https://www.ericsson.com/assets/local/ne
ws/2014/4/the-impact-of-datafication-on-
strategic-landscapes.pdf
8. Moore, Melissa. "Turning Personality Into
Data" (https://web.archive.org/web/201711
11042313/https://www.mattersight.com/bl
og/turning-personality-into-data/) .
Mattersight, The chemistry of Conversation.
Mattersight Corporation. Archived from the
original (http://www.mattersight.com/blog/
 turning-personality-into-data/) on 11
November 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
9. Amsterdam Smart City. "Amsterdam Smart
City ~ Climate Street" (https://web.archive.
org/web/20150530162529/http://amsterd
amsmartcity.com/projects/detail/id/9/slu
g/climate-street) . Archived from the
original (http://amsterdamsmartcity.com/p
rojects/detail/id/9/slug/climate-street) on
30 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
10. https://www.ericsson.com/assets/local/ne
ws/2014/4/the-impact-of-datafication-on-
strategic-landscapes.pdf

External links
"Digitization, digitalization and digital
transformation: the differences" (https://
 www.i-scoop.eu/digitization-digitalizatio
n-digital-transformation-disruption/) . i-
SCOOP. 2016-07-25. Retrieved
2019-06-17.
"From digitization to datafication. A new
challenge is approaching archaeology"
(http://www.archaide.eu/documents/20
181/128971/AIUCD-2017_Gattiglia.pd
f/) .

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