Information Technologies as a capitalist relation:

Neo-liberal forms of subsumption and fetishism

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29327/2148384.2025.834

Keywords:

Information Technologies, Subsumption, Critique of Technology, Cultural industry, Techno-feudalism

Abstract

The incorporation of information technologies has transformed capitalist relations, directly impacting the forms of subsumption and the realization of work. This article proposes a critical analysis of the changes caused by these technologies, arguing that they intensify capitalist relations rather than represent a rupture with the logic of value, as suggested by neo-feudal theses. The insertion of ICT is not a natural technological development but rather an imposition of class struggle within the capitalist logic. The new forms of control and disciplining of labor create an illusion of self-realization, obscuring exploitation and expropriation as the real objectives of these technological transformations.

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Author Biographies

Iderley Colombini, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Adjoint Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Institute of Economics. PhD and MA in Economy of Industries and Technology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; BA in Economics at the São Paulo University.

Marcela Emediato, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

PhD candidate in Economics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. MA in Economics at the Federal University of Minas Gerais; BA in Public Administration at the João Pinheiro Foundation.

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Published

2025-10-14

How to Cite

Colombini, I., & Emediato, M. (2025). Information Technologies as a capitalist relation: : Neo-liberal forms of subsumption and fetishism. Cadernos Do Desenvolvimento, 1–35. https://doi.org/10.29327/2148384.2025.834

Issue

Section

Dossiê "Capitalismo de plataformas, regulação e desenvolvimento"