The internet was supposed to distribute power. Instead, a small number of platforms increasingly control the digital spaces where people work, shop, speak, create, and build audiences. Digital Landlords examines how ownership, access, algorithms, data, and recurring fees shape the modern online economy. Mick Southerland explains the hidden rent behind familiar digital services, the risks of building on borrowed platforms, and the practical choices individuals and businesses can make to reduce dependence and preserve leverage. Clear, timely, and grounded, this book offers a useful framework for understanding who owns the digital ground beneath us—and what that ownership means.
The internet was supposed to distribute power. Instead, a small number of platforms increasingly control the digital spaces where people work, shop, speak, create, and build audiences. Digital Landlords examines how ownership, access, algorithms, data, and recurring fees shape the modern online e...