In the pursuit of as many different data points as possible online conglomerates develop products that intersect and datafy every aspects of human being from self-reports (social media) to location data (self-driving cars and maps) and biometrics (health apps, exercise wearables and bio-jewellery). These data traces are increasingly used to inform product and processual decisions by companies that want to ‘listen’ to the user and optimize products and revenue accordingly or governments that want to ‘adjust’ behavior using large data streams and big data methods. What are the democratic implications of this data driven economy, in which data-enriched decisions may have profound consequence for the equal representation of individuals in society? How does the democratic society make sure that data traces actually represent the user and that all users are part of the data processing on equal terms? With these questions in mind, the chapter will provide a critical insight into the democratic consequences of (lack of) data quality and machine learning processing.
