Non-action (wu wei) in the face of platform hyper-regulation : a Taoist critique of Terms of Service and algorithmic moderation

Abstract The proliferation of norms on digital platforms : endless Terms of Service (ToS), opaque algorithmic moderation, has fostered growing user distrust, prompting widespread circumvention practices (VPNs, multiple accounts). This article confronts the Taoist philosophy of “non-action” (wu wei) with the Foucauldian hyper-regulation of Big Tech (GAFAM), showing how normative excess generates its own transgressors. Through a critical analysis of TikTok, Meta, and YouTube transparency reports (2021–2023), along with sectoral studies (Top10VPN, Eurobarometer), we highlight the inefficiency of current models and propose a framework of qualified normative minimalism : fewer rules, but clearer and better enforced, inspired by the Dao de jing. This model, illustrated by concrete examples (Signal, Mastodon), offers a viable alternative to dominant panoptic regimes while addressing contemporary issues of algorithmic transparency and digital sovereignty. Our conclusions suggest that fewer, better-designed norms could reduce distrust and limit clandestine behavior, opening the path toward more balanced governance of digital spaces. Keywords Non-action (wu wei), Terms of Service (ToS), digital circumvention, algorithmic transparency, normative minimalism, platform governance, Michel Foucault, Laozi, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), algorithmic moderation, user resistance, hyper-regulation, digital panopticism, institutional distrust, digital sovereignty