By: Ricardo Abud
Technofeudalism is a school of economic and social thought that interprets the contemporary dynamics of capitalism through the lens of feudal relations, adapted to a context dominated by digital technologies and large platforms. This phenomenon is analyzed in depth below.
Technofeudalism is a term used to describe an economic and social system in which the dynamics of power and wealth are reminiscent of medieval feudal relations, but are driven by the control of technology, data, and digital platforms. Unlike classical capitalism, which is based on the competitive exchange of goods and services, technofeudalism emphasizes the monopolistic control of digital resources and the extraction of value through mechanisms of surveillance, rent-seeking, and technological dependence.
The most notable features can be distinguished as follows:
• Concentration of power: Big Tech corporations act as feudal lords, controlling digital ecosystems and extracting value from users.
• Technological dependence: Users and small businesses depend on platforms to participate in the digital economy.
• Digital monopolies: dominance of a few actors over access to data, algorithms, and social networks.
• Surveillance economy: the extraction of personal data and its use to influence behavior, similar to feudal rent extraction.
• Structural inequality: increasing gap between those who control the platforms and the rest of the population.
The concept of technofeudalism emerges in the context of global transformations driven by digitalization and the expansion of technological platforms in the 21st century. Although the term has gained traction in recent years, its conceptual origin is linked to the critique of digital capitalism and neoliberalism.
The 2008 crisis of financial capitalism called into question the system's capacity to generate equality and sustainable growth. In this context, techno-feudalism appears as a distorted evolution of the system.
• Big Tech expansion: Companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook (Meta), and Apple have consolidated their power by controlling not only the market, but also personal data and essential digital infrastructure.
• Rise of the platform economy: These do not produce directly, but act as intermediaries, capturing a significant portion of profits through digital rents.
• COVID-19 pandemic: accelerated global dependence on these platforms, further consolidating their economic and social power.
Representatives of technofeudalism
• Yanis Varoufakis: The Greek economist is one of the leading exponents of techno-feudalism. He argues that capitalism has been progressively replaced by a system in which data and control of digital platforms allow companies to extract value directly from users, rather than competing for markets.
• Shoshana Zuboff: Although she doesn't use the term technofeudalism directly, her work The Age of Surveillance Capitalism describes how large technology corporations have appropriated personal data to generate profit, creating a feudal-like power structure.
• Nick Srnicek: In his book Platform Capitalism , he analyzes how digital platforms have transformed economic dynamics, becoming monopolies that control access to essential services.
• Cédric Durand: The French economist argues that techno-feudalism is not only an evolution of capitalism, but a form of historical regression that destroys democratic values in favor of hierarchical and authoritarian structures.
Implications of technofeudalism
• Social:
• Loss of autonomy: Users lose control over their data and decisions due to algorithmic manipulation.
• Social fragmentation: Platforms foster information bubbles and polarization, weakening the social fabric.
• Economic:
• Extreme inequality: The concentration of wealth in the hands of a few technology companies exacerbates economic gaps.
• Structural dependence: Economies depend on platforms to operate, reducing economic sovereignty.
• Policies:
• Weakening democracy: The power of platforms to influence elections and policies threatens democratic structures.
• Private monopolies: The lack of effective regulation allows these companies to act with impunity.
Similarities with feudalism
• Concentration of power: in both systems, power is centralized in a small group (feudal lords in the Middle Ages, large corporations today).
• Exploitation: Instead of land, platforms control data and digital ecosystems, extracting rents from users.
Differences with classical capitalism
• Production vs. rentism: While classical capitalism is based on competitive production, techno-feudalism focuses on the extraction of value through platform control.
• Open markets vs. closed monopolies: Capitalism promotes competition, while techno-feudalism thrives on monopolies.
Technofeudalism represents a profoundly anti-egalitarian system that threatens to exterminate democratic values and individual autonomy. If not properly regulated, it could consolidate itself as a global authoritarian system, eliminating any possibility of resistance from civil society.
Technofeudalism poses a crucial challenge for the 21st century. Although it presents itself as an inevitable technological evolution, it is essential to recognize its inherent dangers and work toward more democratic and equitable alternatives. Stricter regulations, digital sovereignty, and a fair redistribution of technological benefits are necessary to prevent this model from becoming an irreversible dystopia. Severing the essential bond of our societies, the family, is part of the subliminal ideological approach of this trend. We must seek restrictions and regulations that allow for more egalitarian and less predatory approaches. It is time to act.
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