Techno-feudalism and cloud slavery: can we talk about freedom in the digital world?
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published
Evgeny Borisov, Partner at KAMA FLOW, was a guest on the program “Nabutov is Here. Forbes” broadcast on the Silver Rain radio station. He shared his views on the transformation of capitalism, humanity’s dependence on digital platforms, and the concept of techno-feudalism proposed by economist Yanis Varoufakis.
What was discussed?
- Capitalism in a state of transformation. Traditional capitalism, focused on surplus extraction, has reached a conceptual dead end: in recent decades, growth has increasingly turned into stagnation, and inflation remains unchecked.
“We’ve seen that over the past 25–30 years, the entire planet seems to have hit the limits of growth. One crisis after another in most developed economies — this situation is becoming the norm. We are witnessing the system starting to break down. If our parents’ generation — whether in the Soviet Union, China, or the U.S. — was confident that tomorrow their income would increase, we now silently expect that the next generation will live worse and have access to fewer resources.”
- Who are our new exploiters? Modern tech giants such as Amazon, Google, and others are beginning to act as “feudal lords,” controlling the data and resources people rely on. This signals a new form of dependency that, in many ways, replaces old economic models.
- The class divide is growing. Digital services, once available only to the affluent, have become embedded in everyday life for everyone. Yet, this amplifies social inequality, as all “digital rent” is captured by tech giants and their investors.
- Loss of freedom and erasure of personal choice. In an era of digital dependency, we are losing the ability to choose. Algorithms monitor behavior, lock in personal preferences, and leave little room for change. This creates a new kind of “control” that erodes individual freedom.
- Basic income as a constraint. The idea of a universal basic income, popular in Northern European countries, has its drawbacks. While it may guarantee a minimum standard of living, it also sets a consumption ceiling, effectively turning individuals into “serfs” with little chance to change their professional or social trajectory.
- What will the new Middle Ages look like? Humans are becoming mere objects within digital ecosystems — a reality that may prove even more dehumanizing than the return of feudalism.