Feedback and (Social) Loop: Biometric System and the Digital Empire in India

In a technological system, feedback means learning and getting information on system functions and performance. The cyclical process through which data is collected, delivered, and assimilated is called a loop. The concept of feedback and its loop were adopted from biological organisms and translated into cybernetic system design. Similarly, the everyday operations of a technological system interact with users, and their interaction can be termed feedback connected through a social loop. A social loop can mean everyday interactions of users with a technological system and an automated loop for collecting, delivering, and assimilating feedback information on system performance and functioning. Feedback through machine and social loops can provide a crucial understanding of the everyday operation of technological systems and their use for development. In this context, the key focus of this article is to juxtapose automated feedback from the machine loop and feedback from the social loop of the biometric system in India. In doing so, the article intends to critically unpack the operational reality of the empire of digital welfare and the triad alliance of state, international development organizations, and market players driving it in India. The article's methodology is based on the use of 50 qualitative unstructured interviews, three focus group discussions, and two weeks’ personal observation diary notes. The empirical fieldwork data were collected from four districts of Delhi and Jharkhand in India in October 2017 and February 2018.