Democratization Over Algorithms

The internet’s primary effect is to decentralize publishing and distribution power, exposing previously hidden tastes, resentments, and low‑status grievance networks rather than simply amplifying outrage via algorithmic ranking. The resulting political effects (populism, delegitimization of experts, culture‑war cascades) are driven more by increased supply of voices and lowered gatekeeping than by any single platform’s ranking function. — If accepted, this shifts regulatory and policy focus away from purely algorithmic fixes toward institutional reforms (newsroom engagement, civic education, transparency in who gets amplified) that treat visibility and audience power as the root problem.