There are so many things that are coming down the pipeline that both sacrifice people’s technological freedoms and violate their privacy:

Google has recently decided to start determining who’s allowed to create apps that can be installed on Android.
Mississippi has passed an onerous and dangerous age verification check to social media sites that require them to obtain, retain sensitive information about their users.
Germany is in the process of making ad-blocking illegal on copyright grounds.
The EU has proposed chat control legislation that would make decryption of all messages by the government a requirement for all messaging apps, basically requiring a back door to all communication.

Now, these are definitely varying degrees of ridiculousness, but they are just a subset of the attempts at eroding privacy and safety of people online.

In the past, there have been major protests against similar attempts:

You might remember SOPA and PIPA blackouts on many major sites.
This is far from the first time that the EU has attempted to insert communication back doors.
A few years ago, Google’s attempt at enforcing particular software and software configurations being on user’s machines was rejected due to an outcry. (Web Environment Integrity)

And while we’ve had those wins, the governments and corporations keep trying to force through efforts to control our electronic devices, how we interact with them, and what we’re allowed to do on them. And there have been successes in the interim:

Microsoft has basically tricked nearly all Windows users into tying their local Windows OS to online accounts and include invasive telemetry giving them constant access to your system.
Apple and Google have positioned themselves as trusted arbiters of what’s safe to install on your phone while letting through malware and scams on their own platforms.
The DMCA has been weaponized and misused by corporations to strike down content they don’t like and steal money from creators.
John Deere makes it illegal for farmers to operate on their own equipment costing them precious time while they wait for approved technicians to repair what they used to be able to do on their own.
Newer cars can be shut down on the whim of the manufacturer without any sort of due process of the owner.

My theory is that tech literacy is going down. Sure, more and more people can use phones, but the understanding of how those devices work and the implications of these “attacks” on freedom to interact with them are not well spread.

So, I ask, how do we get to a future with a society that understands better how technology works, that is better informed so they can push back against draconian legislation and company decisions?

#FutureYouLove

digital rights

How do we get to a future with a more tech literate society?