Developing digital applications to help understand data production in the context of the Platform Economy and its applications in communication arrangements

• Grant number: 25/03779-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Communications
• Principal Investigator: Roseli Aparecida Figaro Paulino
• Grantee: Ian Pereira Simão
• Host Institution: Escola de Comunicações e Artes (ECA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/05714-0 - Datafication of communication and work activities in communicators' arrangements: the struggles with the determinations of platform companies, AP.TEM

Abstract

This scientific initiation scholarship aims to develop advanced tools to analyze and understand the level of information collected by major global Big Tech companies. These tools will be designed using advanced concepts from data science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for user behavior categorization and analysis. The research will involve capturing website data through network requests, using automated applications or browser extensions for monitoring. Collected data will be securely stored on private servers, processed, and analyzed to reveal the depth of information accessed by major technology companies and quantify the economic value generated through such interactions. The project also seeks to raise awareness among communication professionals about the risks of automation in the sector, including job precarization and loss of autonomy, and foster discussions on data governance in the context of the information economy. This initiative aims to sensitize not only industry professionals but also the general public to the economic and social impact of online navigation and the role it plays in training AI models and supporting platform capitalism.