Digital single market and work surveillance: the role of the European Union

The theoretical framework of the research questions is grounded on the reflections of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the fathers of the critical and Marxist approach of social sciences. Furthermore, the academic analyses of Christian Fuchs and Vincent Mosco were an inspiration to critically develop the analysis on policies of the digital market of the European Union. This Marxist theoretical framework tries to critically analyse the inequalities that plague our society since analysing work is analysing the whole society. Moreover studying the surveillance technologies applied in the production process is studying the unequal distribution of resources among different social strata. The theoretical framework of this project tries to analyse technological development and though it the whole society. Chapter 1 develops the analytical framework of the thesis, it is set on the idea that the unequal distribution of global power in the market creates an unequal, and asymmetrical, exploitation of workers through digital tools. According to Fuchs and Mosco, in our capitalistic society technology is used to maximize the profit of the owner of the social platform through a process of extraction of value from the daily activity of the users. This process characterizes both the voluntary actions of the users on the social network and working actions towards the establishment of processes of labour surveillance. For the first time in history, technological innovation gives the capability to dislocate the process of production on the whole planet, scientifically checking the efficiency of every single step. This process shall be distinguished in two different macro elements. The first one is the production of digital services and commodities done in different parts of the planet at the same time. These are microelements of smart working that each individual can do voluntarily or for a small amount of money. The second is the production of physical services and commodities, organizing the production process toward the use of surveillance technologies as the localization and the performance analyses of the workers. Chapter 2 focuses on the role of the European Union since it is becoming central in regulating the digital single market. Moreover, the research tries to map European policy activities related to data protection, criteria of application of artificial intelligence and the establishment of a right-based digital environment. By analysing European selected documents and provisions, the thesis stresses the trajectory that the European Union is following in its attempt to regulate the digital, focusing at the same time on the rights-based improvement of the European policies, and on possible legislative gaps. The last part of the research is based on a comparison between the European policy and the real experiences of the workers that are subject to remote surveillance. Chapters 3 and 4 highlight that academic research could produce knowledge that may be useful to legislators and politicians since they could base their policies on concrete cases and on the necessities of the workers. These two chapters - the first methodological, the second based on fieldwork research - analyze how remote control devices are implemented to establish the positions and performances of workers, analyzing the mechanisms of exploitation of the digital Taylorism while offering elements of reflection that could be used to create subsequent European policies.