Research Article

DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE AND ALGORITHMIC POWER: A THEORETICAL READING THROUGH FOUCAULT, WEBER, AND ZUBOFF

Volume: 27 Number: 1 June 27, 2026
TR EN

DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE AND ALGORITHMIC POWER: A THEORETICAL READING THROUGH FOUCAULT, WEBER, AND ZUBOFF

Abstract

This study offers a theoretical framework for the digital age of surveillance by reconciling Foucault’s theory of disciplinary power, Weber’s idea of rational bureaucracy and Zuboff’s concept of surveillance capitalism. Moving beyond descriptive accounts, the study introduces the concept of “algorithmic power” to conceptualize contemporary digital surveillance as a form of governance operating at the intersection of discipline, bureaucratic rationality, and data-driven economic processes. The study demonstrates that digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and digital twins, not only collect data but also predict, shape, and assign economic value to individual behavior. In this context, Foucault's model of self-discipline transforms into automated algorithmic control; Weber's rationalization transforms into data-driven bureaucratic governance; and Zuboff's surveillance capitalism provides the economic logic that commodifies behavioral data. By combining classical social theory with contemporary digital infrastructures, this study contributes to the literature by offering an integrated conceptual perspective for understanding how power is restructured in data-driven societies. It also examines the functional dimensions of digital surveillance (such as efficiency, security, and predictive capacity) and its critical consequences, including the erosion of privacy, the ethical uncertainty, and the weakening of individual autonomy.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Business Administration

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 27, 2026

Submission Date

November 9, 2025

Acceptance Date

May 5, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 27 Number: 1

APA
Yiğitol, B. (2026). DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE AND ALGORITHMIC POWER: A THEORETICAL READING THROUGH FOUCAULT, WEBER, AND ZUBOFF. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi, 27(1), 1141-1159. https://doi.org/10.31671/doujournal.1820379
AMA
1.Yiğitol B. DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE AND ALGORITHMIC POWER: A THEORETICAL READING THROUGH FOUCAULT, WEBER, AND ZUBOFF. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi. 2026;27(1):1141-1159. doi:10.31671/doujournal.1820379
Chicago
Yiğitol, Büşra. 2026. “DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE AND ALGORITHMIC POWER: A THEORETICAL READING THROUGH FOUCAULT, WEBER, AND ZUBOFF”. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi 27 (1): 1141-59. https://doi.org/10.31671/doujournal.1820379.
EndNote
Yiğitol B (June 1, 2026) DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE AND ALGORITHMIC POWER: A THEORETICAL READING THROUGH FOUCAULT, WEBER, AND ZUBOFF. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi 27 1 1141–1159.
IEEE
[1]B. Yiğitol, “DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE AND ALGORITHMIC POWER: A THEORETICAL READING THROUGH FOUCAULT, WEBER, AND ZUBOFF”, Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 1141–1159, June 2026, doi: 10.31671/doujournal.1820379.
ISNAD
Yiğitol, Büşra. “DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE AND ALGORITHMIC POWER: A THEORETICAL READING THROUGH FOUCAULT, WEBER, AND ZUBOFF”. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi 27/1 (June 1, 2026): 1141-1159. https://doi.org/10.31671/doujournal.1820379.
JAMA
1.Yiğitol B. DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE AND ALGORITHMIC POWER: A THEORETICAL READING THROUGH FOUCAULT, WEBER, AND ZUBOFF. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi. 2026;27:1141–1159.
MLA
Yiğitol, Büşra. “DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE AND ALGORITHMIC POWER: A THEORETICAL READING THROUGH FOUCAULT, WEBER, AND ZUBOFF”. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi, vol. 27, no. 1, June 2026, pp. 1141-59, doi:10.31671/doujournal.1820379.
Vancouver
1.Büşra Yiğitol. DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE AND ALGORITHMIC POWER: A THEORETICAL READING THROUGH FOUCAULT, WEBER, AND ZUBOFF. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi. 2026 Jun. 1;27(1):1141-59. doi:10.31671/doujournal.1820379