Revolution.Social Team Human vs. Tech Monopolies (with Douglas Rushkoff)
Dec 11, 2025
Douglas Rushkoff, a media theorist and advocate for human-centered technology, discusses the commercialization of the internet and how the early idealism deteriorated into an advertising-driven nightmare. He explores the concept of platform cooperatives, where users own the means of production, and critiques the monopolization in tech. Douglas highlights the importance of community norms in digital spaces like te reo Maori Twitter and warns against the dangers of centralized AI. He also argues for the necessity of professional journalism in combating misinformation.
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Renaissance Or Who Rebirths Culture
- The early web felt like a renaissance rebirthing cultural forms into a new context.
- Whoever controls what gets rebirthed determines the internet's social values.
VC Growth Warps Platform Values
- Growth demands from venture capital distorted platform incentives toward control and profit.
- That shift turned idealistic, cooperative tech into extractive monopolies.
The $4.3B Photo That Changed Twitter
- Douglas Rushkoff recalled seeing Jack Dorsey's $4.3 billion IPO photo and fearing the effect of massive wealth on Twitter.
- He argued huge payouts create investor pressure that corrupts platform purpose.
