In the modern age, digital technology has revolutionized the way societies function, influencing everything from governance to communication. When comparing today’s digital landscape to medieval feudalism, one could notice a striking similarity between them. Tech giants like Meta, Google, and Amazon wield significant power, similar to feudal lords, and dominate entire digital landscapes, economies, and political systems. This piece will explore Meta's influence on society through data manipulation, and how that is an example of our society entering a new feudal era.

In medieval times, feudal lords ruled over resources and territory, offering protection in exchange for labor and loyalty. Today, tech corporations control the digital landscape, offering platforms and services in exchange for user data and engagement on online platforms. Individuals and even governments depend on these platforms for political, economic, and social engagement. In a time when data is the new currency of power, modern tech giants control personal information, much like the medieval lords who ruled over land and resources.

Meta, for instance, has amassed an unprecedented influence over society, shaping and regulating the flow of information, while wielding significant influence over political outcomes. By microtargeting voters with personalized political ads, the company enables politicians to manipulate public perception, reinforcing ideological divisions and polarization.

For example, the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed how powerful institutions can exploit personal data, turning them into digital overlords that control our lives. Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm, crafted psychological profiles to manipulate elections and voter behavior by inappropriately stealing the private Facebook data of millions of people. This manipulation, which was made possible by firms like Palantir and may have been connected to foreign players like Lukoil, shows how tech giants and private companies now have significant control over people's data, enabling them to influence democratic processes.

More recently, experts fear that Meta’s decision to replace professional fact-checkers with a crowdsourced system will accelerate the so-called boomer radicalization in the UK, heightening concerns about the spread of misinformation within closed groups and among the older users. Facebook's structure, which relies on closed groups, makes the move toward a crowdsourced system even more concerning. Anti-extremism groups have expressed concern regarding Facebook's older user base, which is already vulnerable to false information and could be further exposed to radicalizing influences as a result of Meta's recommendations for more political content. Digital platforms, which were once seen as instruments of democratization, now appear to be reversing that trend, with information manipulation being similar to medieval power structures where control over knowledge dictated authority.

Recent developments highlight how tech magnates shape the global landscape not just as corporate leaders, but as powerful political actors as well. January was marked by news of digital technology oligarchs, the people behind companies like Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, and X, fortifying their strategic partnerships with the new Trump administration. For example, in January, Elon Musk and his allies, including executives from his companies and far-right ideologues, formed a group called "DOGE" to influence the American government. This group, which is composed of tech tycoons, has special access to private government information and is working to restructure organizations such as the Treasury Department and USAID. Their actions, backed by the Trump administration, indicate a growing intersection between politics and the digital sphere.

Former president Biden had cautioned about the emergence of a "tech oligarchy" in his farewell address to the nation, while also warning that there could be severe repercussions if the tech giants’ abuse of power is left unchecked. Meanwhile, Trump, upon returning to office, instrumentalized AI as a cornerstone of the national strategy by unveiling a massive $500 billion private investment in Artificial Intelligence infrastructure, branded as "Stargate."While this investment is likely to trickle down on the rest of society by creating job opportunities and bringing in economic prosperity, it also reflects the increasing influence of tech giants, who are not just shaping the business world, but also consolidating political power, as reflected by their strategic partnership with political leaders.

Nonetheless, the scale of these efforts raises critical questions. Are we seeing the emergence of a new digital-industrial system in which a few corporations dominate economic outcomes and technological progress? Similar to the rigid social structure of feudalism, consumers are bound to platforms in today's tech-driven economy, making interaction with industry titans like Meta and others inevitable. As tech companies increasingly shape the political landscape and social interactions, we must consider whether we are digital slaves to corporate lords, or if we can retake control over our digital futures. The answer depends on whether civil society and legislators can work together to promote a more democratic tech environment.