The nature of the modern internet and its consequences has been a disaster for the rights of its users and the further liberation of the people who use it. The internet as its stands is dominated by multiple, multi-national corporations that act as governance over the very nature of how people communicate, speak, work, and act, so much so, that one can be silenced from multiple public squares of communication just due to the content of one's ideas. This would not be as much of a problem if internet usage was not as wide spread and the world was not so utterly reliant on its "services", especially in these trying times. These massive corporations, without any form of regulation, act as monopolies on censorship, right withholding, and other grievances by Draconian terms of services that force the user to forfeit major rights such as the right to privacy, the right to a fair trial, and and the right to free speech in return for the "privilege" to become a data cash cow for these tyrannical beasts. Exercising the sometimes-right [1] to a free market by refusal to use these dis-services leads to ostricization, major disadvantages in terms of opportunity, and, at times, possible legal action against an individual[2]. This abhorrent practice of complacency is compounded with the cultural notion of apathy to these things, most people simply trust these companies out of ineptitude, lack of thinking, or, the most common reason, not reading the terms of service and therefore having no understanding of forfeited rights. Due to the unholy mixture of legal ineptitude, computational inability, and yet a high power over what the free individual can do with his life in terms of monetary, social, or even legal ability, a scenario is created where a majority have entrusted for-profit, amoral corporations with governmental power. These companies are now able to strike down any individual who does not bow to tyranny and ignorance from all online markets, all ways of online communications, and all online abilities. This power should be trusted in nobody and, when exercised, can easily destroy lives.
So what can be done?
The powers that be have allowed this to happen for the fact they gain a type of profit from it: Power Profit. A lucrative status quo sits upon mountains of corporate-gathered data to make sure the people they rule never decide to try anything. Simply look at PRISM and other unholy alliances that wish to tear the free man down for proof of this. Even if we had a governance of angels, we could not absolutely verify we are safe, could not enforce freedom across national lines, or expect corporations-turned-governments to not do anything illegal. If we could verify that the governance of angels could do their job, lets say it's by the means of trust-busting major corporations, This noble endeavor would fail as it fails to cure the woes of apathy and would merely allow new tyrants to prop themselves up in the power gap. This is especially ineffective if we have transitions of power that allow for devils to take over again. What must happens is a culture of rejection to arise that can be self-sustaining. Something akin to the free software movement. People must reject these corporations and turn to free alternatives. It need not be everyone in the world, but at the minimum it should be enough of the population so that those interested in freedom can sustain themselves. A community of those that can work, eat, live, and profit in freedom. Ideally though, this should be more than software or intellectual freedom, but other freedoms too, but that is a topic for another time.
Footnotes
- [In fact, some people don't even get the option to say no to these corporations. This is mostly the most ignorant and vulnerable crowed, the youth, who have no ability to know what rights they are losing by using these services due to an inability to read, let along consent to, Terms of Service. One might counter that this is the parent's job, but they too are just as ignorant of law as any non-trained layman would be, and even if they were trained, are sometimes not even asked.]{#f1}
- [Due to the simple fact that online learning, as it stands, is built off of proprietary software, it is a legal requirement, due to truancy laws, for a student who is always online to surrender their data, freedom, and capabilities over to a possibly hostile cooperation. They must agree to EULAs, legal documents, and forfeit the four or more fundamental freedoms just to escape a truancy trial.]{#f2}