Ordinary Things: Who owns the internet of the future?

Who owns the internet of the future?

The emergence of data-driven mass surveillance "is threatening to turn privacy into a relic of the 20th century," says the anonymous YouTube creator known as Ordinary Things. Meanwhile, state-funded troll farms are spreading disinformation and curating chaos on platforms meant to connect us and revolutionize the way we live. Ordinary Things gives an enlightening account of the internet's strengths and weaknesses, warning that the fight for a free internet is a fight for our collective future.

The internet’s promise of free, decentralized communication is threatened by mass surveillance, state censorship, and corporate concentration. Mobile access now accounts for over half of global internet traffic, but most people use only a few dominant apps. Authoritarian regimes have used internet shutdowns to crush protests, while disinformation spreads rapidly on mega-platforms with little oversight. The fight to keep the internet open and plural is a fight for everyone’s freedom and privacy.