Seizing the Means of Computation – How Popular Movements Can Topple Big Tech Monopolies: In Conversation with Cory Doctorow

Season 4, Episode 2,   Feb 08, 2023, 11:26 AM

 An influential group of big technology corporations, commonly referred to as Big Tech has concentrated vast economic power with the collusion of states, which has resulted in expanded surveillance,  spiraling disinformation and weakened workers' rights. TNI’s 11th flagship State of Power report exposes the actors, the strategies and the implications of this digital power grab, and shares ideas on how movements might bring technology back under popular control.

Our guest on the podcast is Cory Doctorow, a  brilliant science fiction novelist, journalist and technology activist. He is a special consultant to the Electronic Frontier Foundation,  a non-profit civil liberties group that defends freedom in technology law, policy, standards and treaties. His most recent book is Chokepoint Capitalism
(co-authored with Rebecca Giblin), a powerful expose of how tech monopolies have stifled creative labour markets and how movements might fight back.

This interview is part of the 11th State of power report, which focuses on Digital Power. Please be sure to check out all the other essays, as well as the infographics that give a good picture of digital power today.

You can also read an edited transcript of the interview.