TY - JOUR

T1 - The Invisualities of Capture in Amazon’s Logistical Operations

AU - Beverungen, Armin

N1 - © 2022 by transcript Verlag

PY - 2022/8/1

Y1 - 2022/8/1

N2 - This paper explores the status of visuality in surveillance capitalism by considering its role in the management of Amazon’s logistical operations. Whereas Amazon is often portrayed as being at the forefront of developments in surveillance associated with face recognition technologies, a focus on its logistical operations highlights the more mundane role of the barcode scan. The barcode is considered a calm image, central to the operation of capture in the warehouse and beyond. Logistics is here marked by invisualities, wherein visuality is operationalised to optimise logistical flows of data, things and people, rather than geared towards visual forms of surveillance. These invisualities mean that power is exercised primarily through the scan as capture, with power characterised as operational and environmental. Recent developments in logistics towards augmented video surveillance and its associated networked images must also be assessed in the context of this mode of power and its economy.

AB - This paper explores the status of visuality in surveillance capitalism by considering its role in the management of Amazon’s logistical operations. Whereas Amazon is often portrayed as being at the forefront of developments in surveillance associated with face recognition technologies, a focus on its logistical operations highlights the more mundane role of the barcode scan. The barcode is considered a calm image, central to the operation of capture in the warehouse and beyond. Logistics is here marked by invisualities, wherein visuality is operationalised to optimise logistical flows of data, things and people, rather than geared towards visual forms of surveillance. These invisualities mean that power is exercised primarily through the scan as capture, with power characterised as operational and environmental. Recent developments in logistics towards augmented video surveillance and its associated networked images must also be assessed in the context of this mode of power and its economy.

KW - Sociology

KW - Organisation

KW - Algorithmic Management

KW - Environmentality

KW - Amazon

KW - Digital media

KW - logistische Medien

KW - Surveillance

KW - Logistics

KW - Barcode

KW - Operational Images

UR - https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.14361/dcs-2021-070209/html

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/e620d7d7-714a-3c8c-bba7-ebe15a16cb68/

U2 - 10.14361/dcs-2021-070209

DO - 10.14361/dcs-2021-070209

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 7

SP - 185

EP - 202

JO - Digital Culture & Society

JF - Digital Culture & Society

SN - 2364-2114

IS - 2

ER -