While there are many empirical examples of how technological advancements have been leveraged for surveillance and control, there is greater complexity inherent to power dynamics in the digital realm than commonly assumed. Drawing from Giddens’ structuration theory, I analyze contemporary surveillance practices in the United States. The concept of the dialectic of control captures the reciprocal nature of power and reveals how individuals can retain agency even within oppressive and exploitative structures in social media corporations and other digital platforms. Exogenous political actors such as government agencies and institutions have played considerable roles in influencing digital content and behavior. From the release of Wikileaks to the Twitter Files and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, high-profile cases illustrate how data commodification and political manipulation of democratic processes have been perpetrated by exogenous political actors and their collaboration with executives of technological firms. These outcomes are highly complex and point to a critical need for transparency and public engagement in digital privacy and surveillance.