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Democracy

Explainer #2: Guardianship Is Why Tech Execs Think They Are Uniquely Qualified To Protect Communities

Jul 18, 2025

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8 min read

Explainer #2: Guardianship Is Why Tech Execs Think They Are Uniquely Qualified To Protect Communities

Two millennia ago, Plato called them “philosopher-kings.” Today, we call them “global heads of platform safety.” They are still not a good idea.

Explainer #1: “Implicit Feudalism” is why online communities feel like warring kingdoms

Jun 20, 2025

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6 min read

Explainer #1: “Implicit Feudalism” is why online communities feel like warring kingdoms

Ideas from the dial-up era are holding us back today. We can do better.

What Is The Platformocracy?

Jun 3, 2025

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5 min read

What Is The Platformocracy?

Tech companies just wanted to keep people safe. Now they are unelected governments. What went wrong, and what's next?

Platformocracy Pre-History: Social Media Dumpster Fires

Jun 3, 2025

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8 min read

Platformocracy Pre-History: Social Media Dumpster Fires

In September 2024, I gave a talk at Harvard that foreshadowed this newsletter. Here's a key excerpt.

How tech companies became unelected governments and what to do about it, as told by a former Google executive.

© 2025 Jonathan Bellack.

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