Historical alternatives to digital capitalism

 To explore how we might reclaim popular sovereignty over the internet and challenge or even end digital capitalism, intellectual property rentiership, and the enclosure of the commons, this section delves into the history and principles of several key movements: Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), cyberhackers, digital privacy movements, but also those movements that are pushing for a Digital Common approach, or a Decentralised Internet. These groups in different ways are advocating for an open, accessible, and equitable digital environment, standing against the monopolisation of digital resources and technologies.

Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)

The Free and Open Source Software movement emerged in the early 1980s, spearheaded by the GNU Project and later supported by the creation of the Linux kernel, a computer operating system. FOSS advocates for the freedom to use, study, modify, and distribute software without restrictions, challenging the proprietary software model that restricts access and fosters dependency on software corporations. By promoting collaboration and sharing, FOSS embodies a direct opposition to digital capitalism by undermining the notion of software as a commodity exclusively controlled and profited from by corporations. Software, as a tool for societal advancement, they argued, should be a common good accessible to all, not a means for generating excessive profits for a few. Nonetheless, corporations like Microsoft have sought to leverage FOSS to reduce their operating costs, to innovate and engage feedback to make profits, exemplified by organising hackathons and opening its databases during the COVID-19 pandemic. This involvement, while boosting Microsoft's image and development capabilities, also raises concerns about potentially undermining the core ethos of FOSS by prioritising corporate interests. According to different estimates, the demand-side financial value of widely used Open Source Software is $8.8 trillion, suggesting companies would spend 3.5 times more on software without FOSS's contributions.

Cyberhackers

This is a diverse movement with different ideologies and practices, but there is a substantial group  aligned with the ethos of "hacktivism," who use their technical expertise to expose vulnerabilities in digital systems, often to highlight issues of privacy, freedom of information, and digital rights. Emerging prominently in the 1980s and evolving through groups like Cult of the Dead Cow and Anonymous, hacktivists challenge the centralization of digital power and the surveillance practices of both corporations and governments.

Their roots are deeply intertwined with their non-digital origins such as occupied houses, social centres, and various autonomous spaces that have historically served as hubs for counter-cultural and anti-establishment movements. Often reclaimed by activists and used as communal living spaces, DIY concert venues, free schools, and hacklabs, these spaces have provided fertile ground for the growth of a radical ethos that combines direct action with a do-it-yourself philosophy. It is within these physical spaces that the spirit of hacktivism was nurtured, blending traditional forms of activism with the emerging digital realm. Just as occupied houses challenge the private ownership of property and advocate for communal living and resource sharing, hacktivists challenge the privatisation of digital information and the monopolistic control of digital infrastructures.

Digital Privacy Movements

These movements, led mainly by consumer organisations in the Global North, oppose the commodification of personal data by tech giants and the intrusive surveillance practices endorsed by Silicon Valley. They fight against the collection, sale, and misuse of personal information, which is often done without consent and for profit. By advocating for strong encryption, data protection laws, and restrictions on data collection, they challenge business models that rely on data exploitation. Even if these movements are sometimes Eurocentric, focusing on the political rights of citizens from the North rather than the economic rights of those in the South, they also resist the enclosure of the commons by promoting a digital environment where personal data is not treated as a commodity but as a private and protected asset.

Decentralised Internet Movements

Movements advocating for a decentralised or federated internet, such as those inspired by blockchain technology and peer-to-peer networks, aim to dismantle the centralised control of information and services by major tech corporations. Projects like Ethereum, IPFS (InterPlanetary File System), and Mastodon promote a vision of the internet that is open, decentralised, and resistant to censorship. They enable direct peer-to-peer interactions and transactions without the need for central authorities, thus embodying the principle of the digital commons by fostering environments where communities can freely share resources and information without the constraints of corporate control.

Digital Commons Projects

Digital Commons projects, such as Wikimedia Foundation initiatives (including Wikipedia) and the Creative Commons licensing framework, by providing platforms for collaborative knowledge creation and sharing, challenge the notion of information as a proprietary commodity. Creative Commons licences, in particular, offer a flexible range of protections and freedoms for authors, artists, and educators, facilitating the legal sharing and reuse of cultural, educational, and scientific works. These projects undermine the traditional copyright system, advocating for a more equitable distribution of knowledge and  cultural resources.