The Internet: A Corporate Hijacking of Digital Freedom?

The Internet: A Corporate Hijacking of Digital Freedom?

Author: Gareth King December 20, 2025 Duration: 53:05
Ruined By The Internet? | Uncovering the human cost of our digital world
TechnologyScienceSociety & Culture

The internet was supposed to be where the free exchange of knowledge and ideas happened. But has it instead become a place increasingly controlled by a handful of companies - where inconvenient ideas are suppressed, and the original promise of an open web has been quietly hijacked?

We're joined by Wouter Constant - co-founder and researcher at Nostr, an open protocol for decentralised, censorship-resistant communication - who is actively building the alternative and understands better than most how the internet lost its way.

Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.

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In this episode we investigate how the internet shifted from open network to corporate controlled platform, examine the role of government in shaping what we can and can't say online, explore the promise and challenges of decentralised alternatives like Nostr, and ask whether a genuinely free internet is still possible - or whether centralisation always wins in the end.

00:00 - The promise of the internet and how it was abandoned

02:54 - The rise of centralised platforms and how it happened so fast

05:54 - Investment, network effects, and how corporations captured the web

09:00 - Government involvement and the censorship dynamic nobody talks about

12:02 - Decentralisation and freedom of association: what the alternative looks like

15:07 - The real challenges of building a decentralised internet

18:08 - Platform responsibility and what user experience costs us

27:09 - Who is actually responsible for what happens in digital spaces?

29:44 - The evolution of decentralised social media

32:30 - Nostr versus Bluesky: what's the difference and does it matter?

35:30 - Identity and reputation in a decentralised world

39:16 - How decentralisation handles content authenticity

44:25 - Navigating AI-generated content in an open protocol

50:51 - Building a safer internet for future generations: is it still possible?

Guest links - Wouter Constant

Nostr: https://nostr.com/

Web of Trust Foundation: https://weboftrustfoundation.com/


It’s a question that nags at anyone who’s ever felt a pang of nostalgia or a wave of digital fatigue: are we better or worse off because of our constant connection? Hosted by Gareth King, Ruined By The Internet? digs into that uneasy feeling, moving beyond simple headlines to explore how our online world actively moulds society, culture, and the texture of daily life. This isn’t about reviewing apps or gadgets; it’s about treating the digital realm as the pervasive environment it has become. Each episode features thoughtful conversations with leading thinkers and researchers from around the world, dissecting the real evidence behind our shared anxieties and hopes. You’ll hear nuanced discussions that ask whether the casualties we often blame on technology are inevitable, or if we’re simply misdiagnosing deeper societal shifts. This podcast provides a space for considered reflection, offering listeners a clearer lens through which to view their own place in a world that is, for better or worse, thoroughly wired.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 30

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Ruined By The Internet? | Uncovering the human cost of our digital world
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