Manuel Castells: Die digitale Gesellschaft
Reviewed by
Dr. Dieter Korczak, 2026-09-09
Translated from German version by DeepL
Manuel Castells: Die digitale Gesellschaft. Eine kritische Einführung. Verlag Barbara Budrich GmbH ( Opladen, Berlin, Toronto) 2026. 150 pages. ISBN 978-3-8474-3405-4. 19,90 EUR.
There is a detailed German review for this work. Read here
Summary
Whilst Zuboff analyses the psychological extraction of ‘excess behaviour’ at the micro-level, Castells embeds this dynamic within a macrosociological structure. His ‘Little Sisters’ are the private-sector infrastructure that algorithmically permeates everyday life and effectively dissolves privacy as a concept of civil protection. The ‘AI oligarchy’ described no longer operates in accordance with market principles, but rather transforms the state. Technology is transforming from a tool for profit maximisation into an instrument of authoritarian rule, replacing democratic deliberation with algorithmic executive power.
Review by
Dr. Dieter Korczak
Soziologe, Präsident des European Consumer Debt Network, Mitglied der Financial Services User Group der Europäischen Union
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