Commonwealth Club of California Podcast Tim Wu: The Age of Extraction
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Dec 3, 2025 
Tim Wu, a Columbia Law School professor and former White House official, dives into the pitfalls of the internet's promised wealth and democracy. He critiques the power of big tech platforms and their role in economic extraction, which creates new classes while threatening freedom. Wu discusses historical lessons, the impact of corporate mergers, and the implications of Section 230. He urges for stronger antitrust measures and public oversight to reignite competition and ensure tech serves the common good in a rapidly changing world.
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Structure Beats Good Intentions
- The 1990s internet dream failed because platforms became powerful private intermediaries instead of open, public infrastructure.
- Tim Wu argues structure beats intentions: corporate form shapes long-term outcomes more than early ideals.
Wikipedia’s Deliberate Nonprofit Path
- Jimmy Wales chose Wikipedia's nonprofit structure instead of selling out to advertising and billionaires.
- That structural self-control preserved Wikipedia's mission and accessibility over time.
Regulatory Favoritism Fueled Platform Power
- Section 230 and a favorable regulatory posture helped create a period where tech firms were treated as near-untouchable 'infant industries.'
- Government failure to pass privacy laws and challenge consolidation enabled platform power to grow.
