Feudalism 2.0: The Rise of Big Tech as New Sovereigns

Feudalism 2.0: The Rise of Big Tech as New Sovereigns | Opinion

The article explores how the current digital landscape, dominated by Big Tech companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon, resembles a new form of feudalism. It argues that these platforms have created a dependency framework that echoes historical feudal structures, where everyday users surrender control and agency for convenience. The piece advocates for a revolution through Web3 technologies that can restore power to individuals.

Key Takeaways

Big Tech has emerged as powerful entities that control information, communication, and commerce, effectively acting as modern-day sovereigns.
This new form of feudalism, referred to as Feudalism 2.0, creates dependencies similar to historical agricultural systems.
Users trade their autonomy for convenience, leading to a scenario where exiting these platforms is nearly impossible.
The promise of Web3 technologies is to decentralize power and improve digital ownership for individuals and institutions alike.
The goal is not merely technological change but a fundamental shift in the power dynamics of the digital world.

Web3’s revolution against Big Tech is not about coins or speculation. It is about the political structure of the digital world. Rights. Power. Agency. Ownership. Governance.

The New Feudal Order

In the Middle Ages, peasants had no legal claim to the products of their labor; anything they grew on the land was owned by the lord. Feudalism was not just an economic system; it was a way of thinking that perpetuated dependency.

Today, Big Tech has replicated this structure with alarming sophistication. We do not own our data; instead, we create it. Our digital identities are not fully under our control; we merely lease access to them. Rather than consenting to data extraction, we are subtly pushed into it through design choices and default options.

The common argument is that if users dislike these conditions, they can choose alternatives. However, this comparison is misleading. Just as feudal peasants could leave the manor but had nowhere else to go, modern users find it nearly impossible to live without essential services like search engines or social media. This isn't user retention; it's engineering dependency. When technology becomes necessary for daily life, it enters the realm traditionally held by sovereign authorities.

One of the most alarming features of Feudalism 2.0 is its geopolitical nature. Big Tech does not seek permission; rather, governments request discussions. These corporations do not negotiate; they set the rules. They do not adhere to physical borders; they alter them through code.

Platforms like Google Maps have changed how we perceive international boundaries, while Meta controls visibility for various political narratives. Amazon's operational scale often surpasses the GDPs of entire nations. Despite lacking democratic legitimacy, these entities exercise power over us daily. This represents a new kind of authority: unregulated and unaccountable, driven to continuously extract value from our digital identities—our preferences, habits, and data histories.

The Promise of Web3: A New Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution transformed the old feudal hierarchies by providing people with new tools, rights, and power. If developed appropriately, Web3 could invoke a similar shift, not as a trendy buzzword but as Industrial Revolution 2.0—a fundamental reorganization of power.

Decentralized technologies could distribute control in a manner comparable to how industrial machinery changed labor dynamics. The aim isn't to discard technology; it's to reshape how power flows within it. As our society becomes increasingly digital, we must consider: Who benefits from this digital future? The tech "kings," or the everyday people who contribute value?

Retail Adoption: Reclaiming Everyday Power

The revolution for average users starts with a crucial yet straightforward concept: owning your digital identity.

Losing access to an email or social media account often feels more devastating than misplacing house keys. This situation signals a lack of ownership in our digital lives. Web3 can empower users with identity wallets, verifiable credentials, and user-controlled data vaults. Retail adoption doesn't center on NFTs or decentralized finance (DeFi); it focuses on helping individuals regain rights they didn’t know they had lost.

Imagine a digital landscape where your data follows you, enabling you to decide who gets to see it. A world where your engagement generates value for you, not for monopolies that profit from your behavior through advertisements.

Institutional Adoption: Breaking Free from Monopolies

Institutions encounter similar challenges, but at a larger scale. They rely heavily on Big Tech services such as cloud storage and advertising networks. This reliance consolidates national power within a few corporations, making effective regulation virtually impossible.

Web3 infrastructures—like decentralized storage and open AI models—provide institutions with an alternative. Not solely because they are more cost-effective or trendy but because they allow self-governance. This shift can distribute power from corporate monopolies to open ecosystems. Consequently, some governments and enterprises are exploring blockchain technology—not out of curiosity, but out of concern for becoming vassals within a digital empire.

The Decentralized Revolution: A Necessity for Change

Every revolution starts before it is recognized as one. The Web3 movement is not merely about cryptocurrency or speculation but pertains to the fundamental political structure of our digital world: rights, power, agency, ownership, and governance are the crucial issues at stake.

Feudalism 2.0 has developed slowly and subtly, one consent form at a time. Dismantling it will require intentional design, cultural changes, and advanced technologies that reject centralization.

The irony of our era is that Web3 must dismantle Feudalism 2.0—not through conflict but through innovative architectural solutions. The world doesn’t require new kings; it needs established protocols, open systems, and scalable sovereignty. It demands a revolution that enables people to reclaim their (digital) autonomy that was quietly taken away from them.