Yes, wars are raging across continents, alliances are being tested, and tensions are escalating across borders and oceans. However, I would wager that if von Kleist-Schmenzin were alive today, he would agree that the most consequential struggle of our time may not be unfolding on traditional battlefields at all. Instead, it\u2019s unfolding in the digital realm, where control over personal data \u2014 over our digital personhood \u2014 is the central source of power and influence in the modern world.<\/p>\n
When the World Wide Web was born, we were promised an era of democratic participation \u2014 a digital town square for a new millennium. What we have instead is something far darker: Predatory algorithms shredding civil society, warping truth and pitting neighbor against neighbor, while a handful of the world\u2019s richest companies know more about us than any intelligence agency ever could.<\/p>\n
Deep down, we all feel the absolute grip of the Internet on society. We feel it at the national level, as polarization and misinformation continue to fray our social fabric, upend elections and disrupt the world order. We feel it at our kitchen tables, as artificial intelligence bots and polarizing voices prey on the mental and social health of our children.<\/p>\n
This crisis is no accident. It\u2019s the world Big Tech has deliberately built.<\/p>\n
From the moment Facebook introduced the \u201clike\u201d button, the Internet began its descent from a boundless repository of knowledge into a system optimized for rage, addiction and profit\u2014one that rewards division and disregards truth.<\/p>\n