Digital Followers

Platforms do not enslave their users, they addict them. But as they do so, they bind them more commandingly than any political-military force. They algorithmically direct their desires. The powerful design that is the platform is only beginning to grow the reach of its influence. Big players are already working to rebuild health-, education- and traffic systems according to the principle of platforms. Politics is also increasingly subject to the their logic. While Donald Trump treats the US like a corporation, he also does politics on Twitter and perceives citizens as followers or enemies. But there are also counterforces and alternative approaches. Türcke concludes his book with the hopeful innovations that point beyond the digital hell they currently facilitate.