Reclaiming the Internet

Praise

“Americans of all stripes agree that the harms of social media have become too pressing to ignore. Yet the noble principle of free speech has been twisted and transformed into a broad license for corporate misbehavior. Olivier Sylvain, who has spent time in the front lines of this battle, gives us a gripping account of the stakes, what needs to be done, and how we can recover our sovereignty over clear and present harms.” Tim Wu, Columbia University, author of The Age of Extraction: How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity

“Sylvain meticulously exposes how a handful of corporations hide ruthless systems of surveillance, addiction, and commercial exploitation behind legal and cultural myths around neutrality and free expression.” Zephyr Teachout, Fordham Law School, author of Break ’Em Up: Recovering Our Freedom From Big Ag, Big Tech, and Big Money

“For far too long, the tools giant tech corporations use to extract people’s labor, data, and attention have been heralded as ‘promoting free speech’ and ‘building community.’ This illusion of beneficence has insulated tech companies from accountability even when their design choices have led to harms ranging from sexual exploitation to suicide. In Reclaiming the Internet, Professor Olivier Sylvain provides a compelling account of why and how this era of tech impunity must end.” Mary Anne Franks, George Washington Law School, author of Fearless Speech: Breaking Free from the First Amendment

“Sylvain makes a forceful case that social media companies are exploiting the rhetoric of free speech and democracy—and sometimes the First Amendment, too—to shield business models that impose deep costs on their users and our society more broadly. Legislatures have an array of tools that could be used to change the incentive structures within which these companies operate, as Sylvain observes. Let’s hope this book spurs them to act.” Jameel Jaffer, inaugural director, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University

“[Sylvain] maps the situation with clarity and common sense.... A lucid case that algorithms, amplifying our deepest vulnerabilities, now serve their creators’ bottom line.” Kirkus Reviews

“Olivier Sylvain shows us clearly what we have allowed the internet to become: a haunted house version of a shopping mall full of dangerous products, scams, frauds, and abuse. We would do well to heed Sylvain’s carefully crafted plan to clean up this mess by incentivizing Big Tech to do better while keeping our free speech rights intact.” Julia Angwin, New York Times contributing opinion writer

“Expertly mapping the internet’s past and present, Sylvain envisions a far better future for online life in this refreshing call for reform. Reclaiming the Internet is also a must-read for those interested in AI law and policy, offering vital insights on what works in technology regulation.” Frank Pasquale, Cornell University, author of The Black Box Society: The Secret Algorithms That Control Money

“In this elegant and concise book, Olivier Sylvain leads the reader straight to the key question of political life today: who enjoys freedom of speech, the individual citizen or the all-powerful corporations that control our most essential communications. He then offers an array of ideas on how to break the manipulation machines of the oligarchs, and allow Americans to once again share ideas and news in ways that strengthen our democracy and our sense of common purpose.” Barry C. Lynn, executive director, Open Markets Institute, author of Liberty from All Masters: The New American Autocracy vs. the Will of the People

“Every other major industry, from automobiles to toys, is required to meet basic safety standards. Yet social media companies face no comparable accountability. Sylvain’s Reclaiming the Internet offers a bipartisan roadmap for reform—an overdue plan to make the internet safe, responsible, and sustainable for everyone.” Dick Gephardt, former House majority leader