this post was submitted on 06 Apr 2026
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I’ve spent years championing Linux as the only escape from Big Tech, but I’m starting to get twitchy.

While we’re distracted by the Steam Deck making Linux "mainstream," the corporate players and politicians are busy building a digital cage. Between California’s AB-1043 mandates and Microsoft’s "Face Check" infrastructure, I’m worried we’re heading for a hard schism: "Sanitised Linux" vs the "Free Rebel" distros.

If the compliant, age-gated version becomes the industry standard, where does that leave the rest of us? Digital exile?

I’ve put some thoughts together on why the "Golden Cage" is closing in and why education, not mandates, is the only real fix.

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[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (4 children)

Here's one way that liberal fascism maintains control:

  • Maintain control of everything
  • If control is lost, create mass hysteria about "social media", "kids," "addiction", "islam", "immigration", whatever, etc.
  • Steamroll everything.
  • Regain control.

It's how they got TikTok, etc. It's how they'll try to get Lemmy, Linux, VPNs, etc. The wild part is how many lib "allies" will fully support this.

Yes, it's a trap like everything else. It's another front in the struggle.

[–] freedickpics@lemmy.ml 2 points 7 hours ago

TikTok was a data harvesting surveillance tool from day one. It didn't need to be 'got'

[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 1 points 7 hours ago

you are absolutely correct in what you are getting at, i just find it funny that you are like "here's how they maintain control: they maintain control"

[–] thatsnomayo@lemmy.ml 7 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Just to underscore what you said, this is achieved in FOSS via control of non-profit orgs & a monopoly on consumer chip architecture (for the time being)

[–] p03locke@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 10 hours ago

The fascists' weakness is their extreme overconfidence in everything they do.

[–] Auth@lemmy.world 0 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Even if what you claim is true(its not), isnt that a much better way of maintaining control than other systems. Because without the spin you're basically saying the "government tries to push its population in a desired direction via light influence".

[–] willington@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 children)

The problem lies in direction and methods.

Direction: toward greater wealth consolidation.

Methods: fear, lies, fostering ignorance, fostering political disinterest, truth embargo, surveillance, overclassification, embezzlement and other white collar crimes unpunished, eliminating the commons, paywalling all things, etc.

Both of those are huge problems that create unlivable societies.

The only proper direction is toward a legally mandated wealth ceiling plus a wealth floor plus enforced and publicly measured and publicly tested market competition to regulate maximum allowed wealth consolidation.

And of course truth has to be the informational currency. And rights. And privacy for the small players, with heavy oversight for the large players because large is dangerous.

We can't lose the big picture here. Of course the governments must govern, but toward what ends and with what methods matters hugely.

[–] Auth@lemmy.world 0 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Can you give me an example of this happening in real life so I can understand what you mean? I dont see that at all as liberal politician thing. To me it comes off as listing a bunch of things you dont like then labeling it liberal.

Edit: Never mind just realized what instance this taking place on. No point in continuing this discussion.