Direktorat Jenderal Perbendaharaan

Digital Exploitation: From Labour to Data
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Historically, &#8216;exploitation&#8217; involves a direct relationship between the exploiter and the exploited, with clear physical interactions, such as labour or resource extraction. Karl Marx argues the theory of exploitation that workers in a capitalist system are exploited because they must sell their labour to capitalists for less than the total value of the goods their labour produces (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, n.d.).
In today's digital world, exploitation often happens in indirect ways, such as collecting data, manipulating algorithms, and through platform capitalism. Users may not notice it directly, but unfair practices still impact them.
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<li>Under data colonialism, the exploitation of human beings through data has become routine, introducing new risks tied to using this data to make money. A major factor here is the unequal exchange of value; the Global North exploits data from less developed countries, often without fair compensation (Arora et al. 2023). Data exploitation often disadvantages the Global South, worsening regional inequalities, creating dependency, and prompting debates about 'digital colonialism' as it involves unfair exchanges and dependency that need urgent attention. (Ndemo 2024). Digital workers often lack visibility and feedback on platforms, especially those relying on hidden labour from the Global South, which can be harmful and exploitative. These invisible workers stay on the edges while their work supports billion-dollar industries&#160; (Graham et al. 2017); Arora et al. 2023).</li>
<li>Most social media sites offer free services by letting users create personal profiles and manage their content, such as videos and photos, in exchange for collecting and exploiting user personal data (Khalil and Karam 2015). Cybercriminals could use user accounts on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others, to exploit users using social engineering, a technique of manipulating a human to extract private information (Das 2021).</li>
<li>While social media is great for connection and self-expression, it also brings risks, such as the increasing threat of emotional manipulation and exploitation (AIDO 2024).</li>
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Manipulators exploit others by starting with messages that seem caring or supportive, gradually establishing trust. However, these interactions often have hidden motives, and manipulators may eventually begin to take advantage of their victims emotionally or financially. &#8220;Hacking humans&#8221; involves exploiting psychological weaknesses, allowing attackers to get past regular security and access sensitive information (Daniel and Sipper 2023).
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<li>Content creators face challenges in the platform economy era, especially regarding copyright and compensation. Streaming platforms have changed how content creators and producers are exploited, pushing a shift in music consumption where access is prioritized over ownership (Bonadio et al., 2022).</li>
<li>Child Exploitation in the digital age when children as influencers or "Kidfluencers" are used for social media content and create income without enough legal protection (Corderio 2021; Maddox 2023).</li>
<li>Content creators exploit animals for profit by unnecessarily suffering for online entertainment or financial gain (Carvalho et al., 2023).</li>
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