Doctrow argues that nascent tech unionization (which we’re closer to having now than ever before) combined with bipartisan fear (and consequent regulation) either directly or via agencies like the FTC and FCC can help to curb Big Tech’s power, and the enshittification that it has wrought.
Capitalism is where.
It’ll always fight to go there, because least offered most gained is the name of the business.
Sure you can split them up and regulate them, that’ll last for a few years or decades but money is power and they will wield that power to undo it all again, time after time to seek profit.
The only solution is a system that doesn’t value capital.
Continued vigilance is the price of lasting deenshittification
“Vigilance Mr. Worf. That is the price we have to continually pay.”
- Captain Picard explaining to Lt. Worf how to prevent things from getting shitty.
Or just not operating under a capitalist model.
Which has many other benefits as well. Who wants perpetual class war.
No human-led system can fully protect against complacency.
This is where unions can help. Increased labor compensation trims the share of profits available for regulatory capture, lobbying and so on.
It can do more than that. Unions aren’t solely about pay increases, they can enact all kinds of change in the unionized company. If the members of the union don’t like that Google is now shifting gears to making killbot drones (this is not something I just made up), a union could demand they stop doing that, and if the demand is loud enough, the company has to listen or go out of business.