Social Data Migration Concept: Analyzing Transborder Data Flows in the Post-Industrial Economy

Transborder data flows offer opportunities, such as health data sharing, but they also bring risk. Research has explored the tensions between transnational and regional linkages, striving to understand when transborder flows of data bring benefits or drawbacks. By viewing global data flows as a soci...

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Main Authors: Anu Masso, Andrew Grotto, Tracey P. Lauriault
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-02-01
Series:Social Media + Society
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251320697
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author Anu Masso
Andrew Grotto
Tracey P. Lauriault
author_facet Anu Masso
Andrew Grotto
Tracey P. Lauriault
author_sort Anu Masso
collection DOAJ
description Transborder data flows offer opportunities, such as health data sharing, but they also bring risk. Research has explored the tensions between transnational and regional linkages, striving to understand when transborder flows of data bring benefits or drawbacks. By viewing global data flows as a social change process, this commentary strives to complement existing perspectives. It advocates embedding data studies within the framework of social transformation theory to transcend the distinction between theory and its empirical application across diverse social and cultural contexts. Inspired by Stephen Castles’ approach to human migration, it introduces the concept of “social data migration” as a dynamic social transformation. This approach enhances our understanding of the complex, interconnected, and context-dependent nature of transnational flows of data across platforms amid rapid global changes.
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spelling doaj-art-dbf2a35006aa4ffc8c9152fbe9f78e8d2025-08-20T03:13:10ZengSAGE PublishingSocial Media + Society2056-30512025-02-011110.1177/20563051251320697Social Data Migration Concept: Analyzing Transborder Data Flows in the Post-Industrial EconomyAnu Masso0Andrew Grotto1Tracey P. Lauriault2Tallinn University of Technology, EstoniaStanford University, USACarleton University, CanadaTransborder data flows offer opportunities, such as health data sharing, but they also bring risk. Research has explored the tensions between transnational and regional linkages, striving to understand when transborder flows of data bring benefits or drawbacks. By viewing global data flows as a social change process, this commentary strives to complement existing perspectives. It advocates embedding data studies within the framework of social transformation theory to transcend the distinction between theory and its empirical application across diverse social and cultural contexts. Inspired by Stephen Castles’ approach to human migration, it introduces the concept of “social data migration” as a dynamic social transformation. This approach enhances our understanding of the complex, interconnected, and context-dependent nature of transnational flows of data across platforms amid rapid global changes.https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251320697
spellingShingle Anu Masso
Andrew Grotto
Tracey P. Lauriault
Social Data Migration Concept: Analyzing Transborder Data Flows in the Post-Industrial Economy
Social Media + Society
title Social Data Migration Concept: Analyzing Transborder Data Flows in the Post-Industrial Economy
title_full Social Data Migration Concept: Analyzing Transborder Data Flows in the Post-Industrial Economy
title_fullStr Social Data Migration Concept: Analyzing Transborder Data Flows in the Post-Industrial Economy
title_full_unstemmed Social Data Migration Concept: Analyzing Transborder Data Flows in the Post-Industrial Economy
title_short Social Data Migration Concept: Analyzing Transborder Data Flows in the Post-Industrial Economy
title_sort social data migration concept analyzing transborder data flows in the post industrial economy
url https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251320697
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