Missing Data as Political Force

In today’s society, data shapes how states and corporations treat people. It is closely connected to questions of economic, cultural and political representation and equality. Particularly marginalised groups depend on adequate representation in the data that shapes social and political life. At the same time, as the current pressure on democracy reminds us, data embodies a paradox of exposure: it can offer recognition and oppression. Drawing on theories of social and data justice, this article constitutes ‘missing data’ as a political force and proposes an analytical framework to deal with it. Building on Bonnycastle’s continuum of social justice and Fraser’s abnormal justice, it shows how missing data lies between social equality and oppression and can be analysed based on (mis)distribution, (mis)recognition, and (mis)representation. It demonstrates how missing data operates as a driver of inequality, while emphasising the need for digital sovereignty, democratic data work, counterdata practices, and political action.