Your Internet Browser Does Not Belong to You
Description
In the The WIRED article Showler explores how browsers not only serve as gateways to the internet but also influence the way we think, act, and are surveilled online. It examines how features like tabs and private search, initially intended to enhance user experience, reflect and shape our fractured attention spans and desire for privacy. However, the browser’s underlying mechanics, such as tracking and personalized responses to user behavior, expose the tension between browsing as a free, casual act and its deep ties to commercial and surveillance interests. Ultimately, it argues that browsers subtly dictate how we interact with digital spaces, challenging notions of neutrality and autonomy in online environments.
Quote
"To use a browser is, directly or indirectly, to participate in commerce. No act of browsing is ever really idle."
External references
Added on
18.01.25