What Happened to the Fight for the Internet?
The article reflects on the decline of the internet freedom movement, arguing that early grassroots energy was co-opted by corporate interests and that activists lost the broader fight for a decentralized, user-controlled web. It traces how the battle shifted from preserving the open internet to protecting specific platforms, leading to today's consolidated, surveillance-driven online environment.
Background
This article is by Chris Webber, co-creator of the ActivityPub protocol (which powers Mastodon and the Fediverse). He reflects on why the early-2010s citizen movement for an open internet — which defeated SOPA/PIPA and won net neutrality in 2015 — has lost its way.
Key context: That movement was loose, decentralized, and funded by small donations. It won big battles against corporate power. But today, net neutrality was repealed in 2017, big tech monopolies dominate, and decentralized platforms remain marginal. Webber's argument: the movement's lack of formal structure made it nimble in protest but unable to sustain political power and hold its ground against concentrated corporate opposition.