We Don't Consent

I don't know when I first said it, but it was a long time ago: the user agreements and terms of service that we all have to agree to use programs, apps, and social media platforms are all based on the concept of contract law, and contract law, in turn, is based on the idea that contracts are made between equal parties. However, it's completely obvious that the parties in this case are not comparable: you have to agree if you want to use the program.

Anil Dash just published an essay called The Internet of Consent that addresses this problem, and discusses how it has developed over the past 20 years or so. AI (LLM) hoovering up everything makes it all even worse.

Enshittification comes into it, too.