A critical techno-anthropological view on the IoT in Danish media
Authors
Mensa-Annan, Joachim Alexander Yarboi ; Larsen, Lars Hyrsting
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2020
Submitted on
2020-06-04
Pages
50
Abstract
Internet of Things (IoT) forbinder hverdagsenheder til internettet og skaber løbende data, der kan analyseres i realtid. Det rummer store muligheder, men også udfordringer: IoT-enheder er for eksempel blevet misbrugt til distribuerede denial-of-service (DDoS)-angreb, der kan overbelaste onlinetjenester og skabe skade, hvis de ikke håndteres. Denne afhandling bruger en kombination af netnografi (etnografiske studier af online fællesskaber) og digitale metoder til at indsamle og analysere fortællinger fra den danske IoT-scene i perioden 2014–2019. Vi supplerer rammen med Andrew Feenbergs kritiske teknologiteori (Critical Theory of Technology) for at undersøge, hvordan designvalg i IoT kan indlejre magtforhold og blive undertrykkende i selve designet. Med instrumentaliseringsteorien viser vi, hvordan IoT kan dekontekstualisere eksisterende teknologier ved at flytte dem fra deres oprindelige rammer ind i nye netværk, og hvordan denne proces kan forme brugeroplevelser på måder, der kan begrænse kontrol eller autonomi. Gennem analysen identificerer vi mønstre i udviklingen: en stigende udbredelse af IoT i Danmark og et skifte i danske virksomheders syn på og tilgang til sikkerhedsforanstaltninger.
The Internet of Things (IoT) connects everyday devices to the internet and produces continuous data that can be analyzed in real time. This is promising, but it also brings challenges: IoT devices have been used in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that can overwhelm online services if left unaddressed. This thesis combines netnography (the ethnographic study of online communities) and digital methods to collect and analyze narratives from the Danish IoT scene between 2014 and 2019. We complement this with Andrew Feenberg’s Critical Theory of Technology to examine how design choices in IoT can embed power relations and become oppressive by design. Using instrumentalization theory, we show how IoT can decontextualize existing technologies by moving them from their original settings into new networks, and how this process can shape user experiences in ways that may limit control or autonomy. Our analysis identifies patterns of change: growing adoption of IoT in Denmark and shifts in how Danish businesses approach security measures.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Keywords
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