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Techno-Feudalism

I came across the term “techno-feudalism” recently and have been enamored with it ever since. In my opinion, it perfectly captures the dystopian future the world seems to be rapidly heading towards. A few big technology companies are not only monopolizing online commerce but are also trying to force the remaining offline transactions on to their closed platforms. Even governments are migrating their services to these ecosystems in the name of cost savings and better access.

Ultimately it will be up to the public to resist this process before it is too late. We have to encourage people to opt out of these platforms and choose alternatives even if they are not perfect. Keep advocating the following practices.

Don’t use platforms like Facebook or Google. At least limit their use to the bare minimum.
Don’t buy all your stuff from Amazon. Spread your dollars among other online retailers even if it costs a bit more.
Support local businesses and try to pay them directly instead of using intermediaries like Uber Eats or DoorDash.

But that is not enough. We should also work to preserve the ability to access and pay for services without needing an app or an email address. We should demand that governments and educational institutions use free software and host their own software on commodity infrastructure.

And finally we need to find effective ways to educate the younger generations about the dangers of platform capitalism.