Modern governments, working with mainstream media and big tech, can form a distinct regime that governs by shaping and fractionally nudging public attention and experience online rather than by open persuasion or overt force. This operates through platform design choices, coordinated messaging, and censorship/privileging that make certain political outcomes seem inevitable.
— If true, this reframes democratic legitimacy problems and makes regulation of platforms, transparency in government messaging, and attention‑economy governance urgent public issues.
Jacob Siegel
2026.04.12
95% relevant
The article explicitly names and develops the 'Information State' concept: it argues that platform-driven attention and hidden code now reshape political authority, shifting power from procedures and laws to viral influence — the core claim of the existing idea.
Rod Dreher
2026.03.26
100% relevant
Jacob Siegel’s book (and Dreher’s summary) uses the term and examples (Covid-era censorship, platform UX control, historical lineage to Bernays) to argue that control of online attention substitutes for democratic consent.
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