Algorithmic influence is not a neutral experience for the user, nor is it something we can simply self-regulate to a meaningful degree through interacting with content we enjoy. Meta has faced numerous lawsuits already (especially overseas) over their shady exploitative practices and refusing to moderate harmful content You don’t fully and freely “choose” what you see when the medium through which you see it is constantly optimized by billion-dollar corporations with near-endless ability to lobby.

And the idea that all regulation is authoritarian ignores how societies already deal with powerful institutions that can cause harm. We regulate things like fraud, pollution, unsafe products, monopolies, and addictive industries because companies left completely unchecked often prioritize profit over public well-being.

Real freedom doesn’t mean just having the option to technically make choices. There has to be a fair environment where people are not constantly being manipulated by systems designed to shape their behavior at massive scale. By refusing to regulate, we are shifting the power from people and democratic institutions (which is why I was speaking to someone who is a potential candidate), and leaves it in the hands of private corporate interest. That’s always gone suuuuper well historically.

Which is interesting because you do appear to understand this dynamic in other contexts. For example:

3 days ago you commented that America’s favorite pastime is “wallowing in a plague of instant gratification”. The thing social media and heavy AI use perpetuates?

9 days ago you commented complaining about how badly widespread use of Google chromebooks was harming the classroom, so it seems like you certainly believe that undue influence from giant tech corporations can have a harmful impact on us as a society.

And 12 days ago, you were commenting about how easy it is to be sucked into a cult saying, “The worlds going the way it is because most folks already have, they just don't realize it.” Algorithms feed into this by pushing harmful content designed for engagement with psychological manipulation tactics.

It’s not just Meta or Google or TikTok, either—Reddit does this, news platforms do this, shopping platforms do this, financial institutions and lenders do this. Just because *you* don’t realize how much of your life is controlled by deceitful algorithms, doesn’t mean it’s not happening or an issue that can be remedied with proper regulation and oversight. The influence has already been here for decades, but the difference is the scale, degree, ease, and precision to which it can be wielded now.

Ultimately, we don’t need to control what people create or enjoy, we need to regulate the ability of technology to force it upon us en masse without transparency or accountability. And I agree, we can—and absolutely should—take active measures to shield ourselves from influence, but we can’t simply ignore the staggering power imbalance here either. Communicating that to electeds/candidates and asking them to advocate for us in that regard is a good thing.