Beyond the Big Brother Metaphor: Rethinking Surveillance in the Age of Big Data

Abstract

This article analyses the concepts of Big Brother from George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and Big Other from American Sociologist Shoshana Zuboff’s theory of surveillance capitalism. It contextualises totalitarianism and digital capitalism. Through a systematic comparison, it argues that both represent threats to individual autonomy created by asymmetric power and information enabled by technology. Though emerging from distinct contexts, Big Brother and Big Other have analytic value as cautionary tales regarding surveillance and social control. The analysis reveals that despite differing scope, Big Brother’s overt coercion and Big Other’s subtle manipulation lead to loss of privacy, freedom, and self-determination. However, possibilities exist to challenge such techno-authoritarianism through regulation, oversight, collective action, and democratic alternatives that restore control to citizens. Through a comparative study, the article provides insights into the need for democratic intervention against dangerous configurations of technology and power in the past, present, and future.