The whip of Silicon Valley tech behemoths

India is waging a digital war against US and China, facing challenges like misinformation and tech dominance while seeking innovative solutions

The Indian government is among the few countries waging a war on the internet against the US and China, a conflict rarely acknowledged outside informed circles globally. While some of its actions are beneficial for the country, others make no sense. At this point, no one knows how this will unfold. But this war must be waged because it is the most significant conflict of our era.

The Indian government is among the few countries waging a war on the internet against the US and China

To set the stage, picture the internet as a vast library, immense in scope. Shelves bursting with books, manuscripts and scrolls that hold the collective knowledge and narratives of humanity. Visitors roam these corridors, trading insights, disputing beliefs and uncovering fresh realms among the pages. That was the vision, wasn’t it? A universal library, open and inclusive.

But at some point, the library began feeling quite different. Now, the shelves seem jam-packed with propaganda and misinformation. Librarians, once eager guides, now appear intent on directing you to certain aisles, murmuring tips in a distinctly foreign accent, shaping choices. And those once-open reading rooms are now filled with jarring sounds and flickering screens, each broadcasting messages from afar, while priceless knowledge becomes harder to locate, lost under noise and glitz, eluding seekers.

This is the “enshittification” of the internet, a phrase coined by Cory Doctorow, describing the creeping rot of online platforms that elevate revenue and outside control above the needs and interests of users, undermining trust. Doctorow is a celebrated journalist, sci-fi author, and tireless internet advocate.

Metaphorically, he likens it to your cherished bookstore ditching its thoughtful selection for mass-produced pulp, each title pushing a narrow worldview, or your local library favouring flashy gimmicks over substance, every sign trumpeting a foreign narrative, undermining diverse perspectives.

What fuels this decline? Well, Doctorow sees it as a three-step process. First, these platforms lure people in with pledges of free access plus handy perks. Next, once we’re ensnared, they favour advertiser interests and other potent forces, adjusting algorithms to boost profits and external sway, sacrificing user experience and authentic engagement, fuelling a distorted ecosystem that benefits them most. Finally, with both users and businesses reliant on these platforms, the squeeze begins: once-free features vanish behind paywalls, algorithms grow more manipulative, and overall online quality crumbles, leaving many trapped and frustrated.

In this digital era, the mightiest “enshittifiers” are tech behemoths, based in distant Silicon Valley, wielding colossal influence worldwide. They remain subject to American law, rooted in their jurisdiction across the Atlantic. A geopolitical layer lurks here too, seldom addressed, notes an Intelligence Officer, highlighting how foreign powers shape our digital battles without much scrutiny. When push becomes shove, Washington can twist Big Tech’s arm, forcing alignment with any message it wants to advance, raising serious alarms. Because they hold the algorithmic keys as invisible librarians, deciding which titles you spot, which narratives shine, and which voices echo, they must comply whenever pressured, bending content flows with minimal resistance overall.

This fear isn’t purely theoretical either. Indeed, the senior official, who requested anonymity, revealed that authorities are alarmed by the expanding sway of overseas algorithms, and their capacity to shape public sentiment, prompting heightened vigilance and debate. He underscored the struggle in holding these tech giants accountable, citing their external loyalties and the maze of global rules.

Several fundamental issues demand attention and resolution at once. To start, officials realize that impulsive moves, like banning apps such as Tik Tok, accomplish little beyond outraging users who migrate elsewhere. It merely irritates people, driving them toward similar platforms providing the same features and digital comforts. Then comes the challenge of securing top-notch professionals for roles. Government salaries can’t match the lucrative packages dangled by private firms, limiting recruitment. This shortfall discourages many youth, lured away by higher wages in corporate settings, weakening the pool.

Then certain proposals emerge that seem radical on paper yet border on absurd, lacking practical grounding. Take one example: a scheme advising foreign tech firms to install data hubs inside Indian embassies, effectively treating those grounds as extensions of India’s territorial domain. Although unworkable, it highlights how gravely officials view this threat.

But India isn’t alone. Policymakers worldwide are confronting how to counter American supremacy and China’s rise, seeking new strategies amid this turbulent digital battleground, providing a silver lining. The bright spot: through Aadhaar and India Stack, India has shown glimpses of ingenuity that observers believe could present a viable Third Way, potentially unlocking paths beyond “enshittification,” delivering genuine public value globally.