Pluralistic: Unpermissioned research (02 Sep 2026)

Blog · Watch/Read · (gathered 2026-09-03)

• Cory Doctorow argues that framing issues like privacy and AI scraping primarily as “property rights” (the “property religion”) is a fundamental error that disempowers individuals and workers, instead benefiting corporations and oligarchs.
• He asserts that privacy is a human right, not a property right, and that proposals like “data dividends” represent “ideological capture” that normalizes surveillance and exploitation, rather than protecting people.
• Doctorow contends that the debate over AI scraping for creative works should be a labor rights issue, not a copyright issue, citing the successful Writers Guild of America strike as an example of workers defending their co-determination rights against AI.
• He champions “unpermissioned research” (scraping) as a vital tool for public accountability, enabling researchers like Ethan Zuckerman to document corporate manipulation, price discrimination, and authoritarian collusion, emphasizing that it is not “theft” but a necessary means to protect human rights.