They're just trying to earn a buck
6 hours ago
- #corporate-power
- #digital-rights
- #neoliberalism
- Neoliberal economics shifts blame to consumers for corporate abuses, ignoring systemic power imbalances.
- Companies exploit regulatory capture to enforce monopolistic practices, like high prices in airports and noncompete clauses.
- Snapchat's bait-and-switch on 'memories' exemplifies how lack of competition and regulation allows corporate exploitation.
- Digital services like apps restrict user rights under laws like DMCA Section 1201, preventing self-protection measures like ad-blockers.
- Markets fail when 'demand signals' are reduced to binary choices, limiting consumer power and feedback mechanisms.
- Collective actions (lawsuits, boycotts, ad-blockers) challenge corporate abuses, but legal barriers often protect exploitative practices.
- The text critiques neoliberal economists for enabling corporate greed while blaming consumers for market failures.