Move fast and break laws

Many of the high-profile tech “innovations” of this century have been about breaking the law.

AirBnB ignoring zoning regulations, sidestepping fire inspections, and turning neighbourhoods into unregulated hotel quarters.

Uber ignoring transport standards and wage laws to re-create taxis, now mostly worse and more exploitative than the originals.

OpenAI and friends ignoring copyright law and practicing mass theft of labour. Then doubling down and also hacking at scale.

One of the reasons most ethical alternatives have a hard time finding their place is they’re expected to compete with companies that have mostly externalised their costs. The alternatives have to actually pay for safety, labour rights, licenses, and more. Meanwhile the “disruptors” just leave the bill to workers, communities, creators and everyone else.

They talk about believing in “the market”; what they really believe in are loopholes. Cheating as efficiency.

The alternatives are still worth it, though, because they serve the people rather than extracting from them.

And yes, that sometimes means accepting a little less convenience or paying a bit more, but it’s also a vote for an economy where innovation doesn’t depend on making everyone else foot the bill.

You will pay more with the dominant players, it just won’t show up on your monthly invoice.

Colin