The Manifestations, Generative Logic and Phenomenological Reflection of Technofeudalism

With the rapid development of digital technologies and digital platforms, proponents of technofeudalism argue that a new feudal society characterized by the monopoly of digital platforms is emerging. The emergence of “cloud lords”, “cloud fiefdoms” and “cloud serfs” is a new realistic manifestation of digital capitalism. On the one hand, tech giants occupy users’ attention and monopolize data traffic through digital platforms, creating a pattern of unequal power between users and platforms; on the other hand, tech giants collect “cloud rent” and harvest data value to achieve hidden labor exploitation. Technofeudalism starts with the logic of digital territorial division in the digital space. Tech giants privatize platform data and form an oligopoly, allowing the new feudal relationship between “cloud lords” and “cloud serfs” to be reborn. In fact, “cloud rent” has not escaped the scope of capitalist commodity transactions, and digital platforms have always existed in digital capital as constant capital. There is an essential difference between the dependence of “cloud serfs” on digital platforms and feudal dependence. The new changes in today’s digital capitalism do not indicate the return of feudalism.