- Big Tech's surveillance capitalism is likened to a form of totalitarianism-for-profit, responsible for global democratic collapse through data extraction and misinformation.
- The 1997 Clinton-Gore Whitepaper established a neoliberal 'wild West' approach to the internet, abdicating democratic governance and enabling unchecked corporate control.
- Surveillance capitalism originated at Google in 2002, monetizing behavioral surplus without user consent, prioritizing profit over democracy and human rights.
- Disinformation and polarization, fueled by algorithmic engagement, are key drivers of democratic decline, with autocracies now outnumbering democracies globally.
- The European Union has attempted regulatory pushback with laws like GDPR and the AI Act, but faces pressure from tech giants and political shifts towards deregulation.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez advocates for criminal liability for tech executives and algorithmic manipulation, emphasizing democratic renewal through collective action.
- The defense of democracy requires abolishing harmful business practices, filling governance voids with mediating institutions, and recommitting to human-centric values.