Today’s links Subprime gadgets: What a remote-brick app tells us about debt collection in the age of trusted computing. Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. This day in history: 2004, 2014, 2019, 2023 Upcoming appearances: Where to find me. Recent appearances: Where I’ve been. Latest books: You keep readin’ em, I’ll keep writin’ ’em. Upcoming books: Like I said, I’ll keep writin’ ’em. Colophon: All the rest. Subprime gadgets (permalink) The promise of feudal security: “Surrender control over your digital life so that we, the wise, giant corporation, can ensure that you aren’t tricked into catastrophic blunders that expose you to harm”: https://locusmag.com/2021/01/cory-doctorow-neofeudalism-and-the-digital-manor/ The tech giant is a feudal warlord whose platform is a fortress; move into the fortress and the warlord will defend you against the bandits roaming the lawless land beyond its walls. That’s the promise, here’s the failure: What happens when the warlord decides to attack you? If a tech giant decides to do something that harms you, the fortress becomes a prison and the thick walls keep you in. Apple does this all the time: “click this box and we will use our control over our platform to stop Facebook from spying on you” (Ios as fortress). “No matter what box you click, we will spy on you and because we control which apps you can install, we can stop you from blocking our spying” (Ios as prison): https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar But it’s not just Apple – any corporation that arrogates to itself the right to override…Pluralistic: Subprime gadgets (29 Mar 2024)