Mindf*ck: Cambridge Analytica and the Plot to Break America

by Christopher Wylie

The unrestricted power of these Internet utilities to impact our public discourse, social cohesion, and mental health, whether intentionally or through incompetence and neglect, must also be subject to public accountability. A new digital regulatory agency should be established to enforce this new digital regulatory framework with statutory sanctioning powers. In particular, these agencies should contain technically competent ombudsmen empowered with rights to conduct proactive technical audits of platforms on behalf of the public. We should also use market-based reinforcement mechanisms, such as the requirement of Internet utilities to hold insurance for harms incurred from data misuse.