Category: Theory
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Big Tech In Decline?
Massive Shakeup of Major Players Under Way, Especially in Social Media LarrySanger.org does not usually break news. But since this is such a huge story and no other outlets seem to be covering it, we thought we would do so. Note: Updated rank numbers (not images), below, with data from Sept. 30. Sep. 29, 2019…
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Constantly monitor those in power
“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” That’s a question we should be asking more in this day and age of constant surveillance. I’m toying with a proposal: Anyone who goes into public office should have absolutely no privacy whatsoever. Every movement should be available on video, every email and message logged and read, and every conversation recorded.…
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On the misbegotten phrase “surveillance capitalism”
The loaded phrase surveillance capitalism has been in circulation since at least 2014, but it came into much wider use this year with Shoshana Zuboff’s book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. The phrase means the system of extremely widespread surveillance by giant private corporations, entailing the systematic invasion of our privacy as well as control…
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The challenges of locking down my cyber-life
In January 2019, I wrote a post (which see for further links) I have shared often since about how I intended to “lock down my cyber-life.” That was six months ago. I made lots of progress, but it seems I’m far from finished, too. In that post, I explained three problems about computer technology (viz.,…
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On the clash of civilizations
There is a global conflict underway. A good way to understand it is by looking at the different interests that are coming into conflict. And a good place to begin is, of course, with: The immigrants. People from the “global south” are immigrating north, inspired by the images of prosperity they see on television and…
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Toward a social contract for social media
Last week, I led a “strike,” or boycott, associated with the hashtag #SocialMediaStrike, directed at the giant, centralized social media services. Though throttled by Twitter and no doubt by others, the brief campaign led to massive use of the hashtag, many people carrying out the strike, as well as dozens of news stories from around…
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Declaration of Digital Independence
Version 1.3 (June 29, 2019; version history) See also: Social Media Strike! — FAQ about the project to decentralize social media — Resources This document is included as Chapter 11 of my 2020 book, Essays on Free Knowledge. Please support the struggle for freedom by buying a copy! Humanity has been contemptuously used by vast…
