Lively, visual, and relentlessly clear-eyed, Terms of Disservice offers a disturbing evidence-backed portrait of a digital economy now cursed by catastrophic success.Jonathan Zittrain, George Bemis Professor of International Law, Harvard Law School
One of the greatest challenges to confronting misinformation and disinformation is being able to define the problem in the first placeand Ghosh helps us to follow the money. We won’t begin to solve this urgent problem unless we confront the market incentives that make it not just viable, but profitable. In this book, Ghosh helps us take a big leap forward in understanding the business model that underpins fake newsand how we can start to do something about it.Robby Mook, founder, Defending Digital Democracy Project, Harvard Kennedy School; former campaign manager, Hillary for America
Terms of Disservice bravely goes after the root of all internet evilthe consumer surveillance business model, a dire threat to our privacy, democracy, and way of life.Bruce Reed, former chief of staff for Vice President Joe Biden, head of domestic policy for President Bill Clinton
Ghosh’s deep knowledge of the way digital companies undermine our cognition, agency, and democracy is scary but required reading. Thankfully, his deep faith in the ability of government and civil society to develop a new social contract makes this a hopeful and actionable proposal.Douglas Rushkoff, professor of media theory and digital economics, Queens College; author of Team Human
With subject expertise and a lively writing, Dipayan Ghosh provides a rare and important examination of the underlying problems of Big Tech today: the business models.Cecilia Kang, technology reporter, New York Times
Powerful internet platforms, driven by a ruthless commercial logic, have caused tremendous harm in the United States and around the world. With technological sophistication and crystal-clear writing, Terms of Disservice provides the analytical tools necessary to understand the structural roots of this crisis and the policies we need to confront it. Anyone who thinks democracy is worth saving should read this compelling book.Victor Pickard, professor, University of Pennsylvania; author of Democracy Without Journalism? Confronting the Misinformation Society
Terms of Disservice addresses the big picture of social mediaboth its place in our national economy and its corrosive effect on the individual. Ghosh concludes with a proposal for a social contract that preserves the strengths of social media while respecting the autonomy of the individual. The result is a roadmap for policymakerswe can only hope that they pay attention.Stephen B. Wicker, professor, Cornell University; author of Cellular Convergence and the Death of Privacy