"An example of the former is how easy dragnet surveillance is today. An example of the latter is how easy cryptographically secure communication is today. That'

"An example of the former is how easy dragnet surveillance is today. An example of the latter is how easy cryptographically secure communication is today. That's the entire essay." This is the common claim. It's also super simplistic given elites control the law, the Internet backbone, the entertainment industry, copyright/patent system, and often venture capital that decides which tech will dominate next. That's why most people are on Windows, iMessage, Android, Facebook, Twitter, and so on. The incentives for and ambitions of startup founders also mean they will not likely make the system more equal with their next innovation since their goal is getting as far ahead of everyone else as possible. The percentage that have influence over markets, are aimed at improved equality/privacy/security, and setup to stay that way are so small they make successful startups look common. Tech can help change the situation but overall a tiny part of doing so. It will take legal, political, or other muscle targeted right at the elites and their control structures.