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Briefing: The internet was supposed to be free. What went wrong?

Strategic angle: Thirty years ago, countercultural thinkers declared the internet an independent space. Today, it's controlled by a handful of corporations. Were we deceived?

editorial-staff
1 min read
Updated 24 days ago
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Initially, the internet was designed as a decentralized network, promoting open access and free exchange of information. However, over the past three decades, control has increasingly consolidated among a limited number of corporate entities.

This centralization has significant implications for internet architecture, affecting everything from data flow to user access. The dominance of these corporations can lead to bottlenecks in capacity and throughput, impacting overall system performance.

As we assess the current landscape, it is crucial to consider the long-term effects of this corporate control on infrastructure resilience and innovation. The original vision of an independent internet may require reevaluation in light of these developments.