Data Empire

Long before writing was invented, at the very dawn of civilization in Mesopotamia, rulers created clay tokens in order to take control of land and resources. To exercise power, first they needed data.

Later, advances in navigation and ships led to an age of empires that collectively controlled more than 80% of the world at their height, a new regime that offered power over human life itself.

This epic history defines our third era, in which trading our data for access may seem relatively harmless or even inevitable. But across the world, from past to present, we are all paying a price.

Provocative and sweeping in scope, Data Empire reveals how data has always been the key to power, and how we might remake the modern world for the benefit of all.