Governing through metrics in the digital age

ABSTRACT

Building on insights from research on surveillance and valuation in the context of digitization, this article analyses the growing use of algorithmically driven metrics that help quantify human conduct and discusses some of its implications. As such, metrics operate both as technologies of surveillance and providers of an imaginary of social values which is put into play in the governance of people, organizations and societies. To illustrate, the article peeks into the Chinese Social Credit System and similar projects elsewhere. It demonstrates how the digitization of governance is entangled with broader issues of surveillance and valuation, and it suggests the usefulness of synthesizing key insights from bodies of literatures that are not commonly brought together.

KEYWORDS:

• Governance
• surveillance
• valuation
• social credit systems
• lists
• citizen scores

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hans Krause Hansen

Hans Krause Hansen is Professor of Governance and Cultural Studies at Copenhagen Business School. His current research focuses on public and private governance, corruption, transparency and surveillance regimes, new media technologies and metrics. He has published widely in the fields of international studies, global political economy and organization studies.