Scientific paper ID 2656 : 2025/2

This article examines the effects of digitalization that may pose challenges to individual freedom and societal structure, viewed through the lens of technological ethics. The concept of the ”digital panopticon” is introduced, shedding light on the tendency to ”programming the human to act by preion” while discussing new forms of social control. The role of technologies in the process of algorithmic modeling of user behavior and automated decision-making is critically analyzed, with an emphasis on how these processes may push individuals toward digital dependencies and limit autonomy. The focus is on the ”invisible” digital mechanisms of global market capitalism, which precondition human choices by utilizing personal data as an economic asset. In this new reality, individuals become passive participants in processes they do not fully understand, losing control over their own choices and desires. The thesis argues that modern technologies, as instruments of a new economic logic, also facilitate the creation of totalitarian models of subjugation, through which power and information are centralized, while the authenticity of choices, transparency in relationships, and individual freedom are called in question. The need for new regulatory mechanisms is emphasized, in order to achieve a balance between technological innovations and universal human values that underpin democratic principles. Among the recommendations to limit so-called ”techno-totalitarianism” are: the ment for algorithm transparency, decentralization of digital platforms, and ethical design.