Who Broke the Internet? | E2: Ctrl, Ctrl, Ctrl
May 12, 2025•29 min•Season 5Ep. 2
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Summary
This episode of Understood explores the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and its impact on internet freedom. It details the story of Dmitry Sklyarov's arrest, the lobbying efforts of Bruce Lehman, and the fight against restrictive copyright laws. The episode also covers the modern-day implications of the DMCA, using the example of the OG app's attempt to improve Instagram.Episode description
In 1998, the United States Congress tried to tame the wild internet with a new law: the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. But buried in its fine print was a provision that would end up giving tech giants ultimate legal protection and control, and stop innovators from fixing what's broken. Host Cory Doctorow traces how a law written for a different era led to the arrest of a researcher, became the playbook for Meta's enshittification, and lets platforms degrade your online life today — protecting them while they do it.
Guests in this episode include Seth Schoen and Pam Samuelson. Archival recordings feature Dmitry Sklyarov, Bruce Lehman, Al Gore, and Steve Sipress.
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