“All of us data points”: Experiences of data welfare state from the margins

Abstract

We employ the “from the margins” approach to assess how the Finnish digital welfare state stacks up against the ideals of the welfare state. Based on empirical research on the experiences of asylum seekers, unemployed persons, and older adults, our study reveals how datafication transforms the relations between the citizens and the welfare state, in which historically, data on citizens has been used for their benefit. Our findings reveal the emergence of new forms of inequalities related to digital exclusion that cut across distinct social groups and connect with basic needs in life. Furthermore, they reveal negative affective orientation toward the data welfare state.