30: I would DISMANTLE MONOPOLIES: Cory Doctorow

If I Ruled the World by Gillian Burke

Give us your feedback and tell us what you would do if you ruled the world!

Brace yourselves! In this episode, we delve into the dynamics behind runaway consumption and throwaway culture with Cory Doctorow, writer, journalist, and a fervent advocate for digital rights and freedoms. From examining monopolies in the tech industry to exploring the mechanisms of corporate influence over our digital lives, Cory shares his insights on how we might rebalance power and stop everything getting worse for the greater good of society

Episode Highlights

• Monopolies and Corporate Power: Cory discusses the pervasive nature of monopolies in the tech industry and their impact on innovation and consumer freedom.
• Antitrust and Regulation: Analysis of the current state of antitrust laws and the urgent need for robust regulatory frameworks to dismantle corporate monopolies.
• The Concept of "Enshittification": Cory introduces and explains the term "enshittification," which he coined to describe the degradation of services and erosion of user rights in monopolistic ecosystems.
• The Fight for Digital Rights: The conversation shifts to the necessity for a collective push towards preserving digital rights and privacy in an increasingly surveilled and controlled digital landscape.
• Empowering Technological Alternatives: Discussing potential systemic changes that could support sustainable and ethical technological development.

A final thank you to our wonderful sponsors Triodos Bank UK for making this podcast happen.

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You can follow ‘If I Ruled the World’ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your preferred platform of choice.

Connect with our guest:

Cory Doctorow

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Website

Mentions & Resources

• What 'Orwellian' Really Means - Noah Tavlin
• Cory Doctorow’s Blog
• Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Book: "How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism"
• Open Rights Group
• WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)

What would you do if you ruled the world?

If you have any insights or feedback on today’s episode or you have an idea for how the world could be a better place, drop me an email on [e-mail]

Credits:

Host: Gillian Burke

Production Company: Soundquake

Producer: Sam Hamilton-Turner

Editing: Jake-Lee Savage