The current state of tech can feel disheartening. Years of critical analysis and reform efforts have left us with a digital sphere that seems worse than ever. In Europe, our leaders appear unable to formulate a clear strategy, preferring vague promises around AI, delaying enforcement, or undercutting Europe's own tech industry to protect the exports of 20th-century industrial incumbents. Meanwhile, tech monopolies have openly aligned with authoritarian power, and CEOs are openly discussing the erosion of democracy.
Yet as dark as the situation may be, it is also clearer than ever. The internet as it exists today is the result of a political project outlined in the 1990s and we can replace it with a better vision. In this session, Robin Berjon outlines a strategy to bring democracy to the internet, and highlights examples of projects that point us toward a healthier, more hopeful digital sphere that works for all of us.