Adam Kovacevich
@adamkovac.bsky.social
Founder and CEO, Chamber of Progress. Pro-tech Democrat. Ex: Google, Lime.
Wu and Doctorow see themselves as speaking up for people against elites.
But their disdain for consumers' agency and judgment couldn't be more elite.
Tech consumers aren’t NPCs. They’re informed, adaptive, and vocal.
Link:
progresschamber.org/insights/ti...
But their disdain for consumers' agency and judgment couldn't be more elite.
Tech consumers aren’t NPCs. They’re informed, adaptive, and vocal.
Link:
progresschamber.org/insights/ti...
Tim Wu and Cory Doctorow’s NPCs: Non-Player Consumers: - Chamber of Progress
In video games, non-player characters (NPCs) are coded to advance the plot by dutifully delivering their scripted lines, oblivious to what’s happening around
progresschamber.org
November 12, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Wu and Doctorow see themselves as speaking up for people against elites.
But their disdain for consumers' agency and judgment couldn't be more elite.
Tech consumers aren’t NPCs. They’re informed, adaptive, and vocal.
Link:
progresschamber.org/insights/ti...
But their disdain for consumers' agency and judgment couldn't be more elite.
Tech consumers aren’t NPCs. They’re informed, adaptive, and vocal.
Link:
progresschamber.org/insights/ti...
This was a huge mistake, which deprived the Biden admin of connections to, and intel from, the US economy's most important companies.
It happened b/c Biden's senior staff didn't send a clear signal to talk with industry.
My colleague @DaveV15 with more:
pub.bluehorizonproject.org/p/warren-sc...
It happened b/c Biden's senior staff didn't send a clear signal to talk with industry.
My colleague @DaveV15 with more:
pub.bluehorizonproject.org/p/warren-sc...
How Elizabeth Warren Scared the Biden Administration Into Not Meeting with Tech Leaders
When California Governor Gavin Newsom sent prepaid “burner” cell phones to roughly 100 top executives of California-headquartered companies, he was not simply distributing novelty gifts.
pub.bluehorizonproject.org
November 5, 2025 at 6:14 PM
This was a huge mistake, which deprived the Biden admin of connections to, and intel from, the US economy's most important companies.
It happened b/c Biden's senior staff didn't send a clear signal to talk with industry.
My colleague @DaveV15 with more:
pub.bluehorizonproject.org/p/warren-sc...
It happened b/c Biden's senior staff didn't send a clear signal to talk with industry.
My colleague @DaveV15 with more:
pub.bluehorizonproject.org/p/warren-sc...
It's silly to me that Dayen says we're a "front" group. Since I founded the group in 2021 we have listed our corporate partners on our website.
Wow, a real gotcha there.
x.com/ddayen/stat...
Wow, a real gotcha there.
x.com/ddayen/stat...
October 31, 2025 at 2:04 PM
It's silly to me that Dayen says we're a "front" group. Since I founded the group in 2021 we have listed our corporate partners on our website.
Wow, a real gotcha there.
x.com/ddayen/stat...
Wow, a real gotcha there.
x.com/ddayen/stat...
And of course, we didn't ask Trump to "block" lawsuits - he can't do that. But the Administration can file amicus briefs to express its view - just like the Biden DOJ in the Epic v. Apple antitrust case.
October 31, 2025 at 2:04 PM
And of course, we didn't ask Trump to "block" lawsuits - he can't do that. But the Administration can file amicus briefs to express its view - just like the Biden DOJ in the Epic v. Apple antitrust case.
Dayen's article is the perfect encapsulation of how the "anti-monopolists" are really just "anti-big tech", and how they will reject pro-competition principles in order to stick it to Google and Meta.
prospect.org/2025/10/31/...
prospect.org/2025/10/31/...
‘Progressive’ Tech Group Asks Trump to Block AI Copyright Cases - The American Prospect
The Chamber of Progress’s campaign to promote fair use, which they have created a campaign around called “Generate and Create,” comes as at least three of the nonprofit organization’s past or current backers are being sued over copyright claims.
prospect.org
October 31, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Dayen's article is the perfect encapsulation of how the "anti-monopolists" are really just "anti-big tech", and how they will reject pro-competition principles in order to stick it to Google and Meta.
prospect.org/2025/10/31/...
prospect.org/2025/10/31/...
The most galling thing about this "movement" is that it claims to speak for consumers when it's actually disdainful of consumers' choices.
Because millions of consumers are choosing "obviously" awful co's like Amazon & Google, consumers must be clueless!
Ivory tower populism.
Because millions of consumers are choosing "obviously" awful co's like Amazon & Google, consumers must be clueless!
Ivory tower populism.
October 8, 2025 at 8:00 PM
The most galling thing about this "movement" is that it claims to speak for consumers when it's actually disdainful of consumers' choices.
Because millions of consumers are choosing "obviously" awful co's like Amazon & Google, consumers must be clueless!
Ivory tower populism.
Because millions of consumers are choosing "obviously" awful co's like Amazon & Google, consumers must be clueless!
Ivory tower populism.
It's no wonder that the anti-corporate populist crowd love "Enshittification."
It endorses their world view that consumers are ignorant and unable to choose alternatives, and that technology markets are static with no new entrants or innovation.
x.com/ChopraUSA/s...
It endorses their world view that consumers are ignorant and unable to choose alternatives, and that technology markets are static with no new entrants or innovation.
x.com/ChopraUSA/s...
October 8, 2025 at 8:00 PM
It's no wonder that the anti-corporate populist crowd love "Enshittification."
It endorses their world view that consumers are ignorant and unable to choose alternatives, and that technology markets are static with no new entrants or innovation.
x.com/ChopraUSA/s...
It endorses their world view that consumers are ignorant and unable to choose alternatives, and that technology markets are static with no new entrants or innovation.
x.com/ChopraUSA/s...
In Doctorow's world, an unhappy Amazon user is incapable of shopping at Target or Walmart.
An unhappy Google search is incapable of using ChatGPT.
And yet, Doctorow himself promotes decentralized alternatives to Twitter...
x.com/doctorow/st...
An unhappy Google search is incapable of using ChatGPT.
And yet, Doctorow himself promotes decentralized alternatives to Twitter...
x.com/doctorow/st...
October 8, 2025 at 8:00 PM
In Doctorow's world, an unhappy Amazon user is incapable of shopping at Target or Walmart.
An unhappy Google search is incapable of using ChatGPT.
And yet, Doctorow himself promotes decentralized alternatives to Twitter...
x.com/doctorow/st...
An unhappy Google search is incapable of using ChatGPT.
And yet, Doctorow himself promotes decentralized alternatives to Twitter...
x.com/doctorow/st...
And Doctorow's "policy solutions" are all deeply anti-consumer ideas that would raise prices for consumers, and force Amazon packages to be delivered less slowly.
That would all make Amazon's alleged "enshittification" worse!
That would all make Amazon's alleged "enshittification" worse!
October 8, 2025 at 8:00 PM
And Doctorow's "policy solutions" are all deeply anti-consumer ideas that would raise prices for consumers, and force Amazon packages to be delivered less slowly.
That would all make Amazon's alleged "enshittification" worse!
That would all make Amazon's alleged "enshittification" worse!
220M people worldwide belong to Amazon Prime, but Doctorow can't imagine that people actually value the service. In his view, all it sells is "low-quality, high-priced junk."
Apparently those 220M people are mindless idiots, incapable of assessing the true value of Prime.
Apparently those 220M people are mindless idiots, incapable of assessing the true value of Prime.
October 8, 2025 at 8:00 PM
220M people worldwide belong to Amazon Prime, but Doctorow can't imagine that people actually value the service. In his view, all it sells is "low-quality, high-priced junk."
Apparently those 220M people are mindless idiots, incapable of assessing the true value of Prime.
Apparently those 220M people are mindless idiots, incapable of assessing the true value of Prime.
In Doctorow's world, consumers aren't choosy - they're fools. They stand by idly while services and products get worse, without pursuing alternatives.
If they still like the service, they're "prisoners of neoliberal mind palace."
x.com/doctorow/st...
If they still like the service, they're "prisoners of neoliberal mind palace."
x.com/doctorow/st...
October 8, 2025 at 8:00 PM
In Doctorow's world, consumers aren't choosy - they're fools. They stand by idly while services and products get worse, without pursuing alternatives.
If they still like the service, they're "prisoners of neoliberal mind palace."
x.com/doctorow/st...
If they still like the service, they're "prisoners of neoliberal mind palace."
x.com/doctorow/st...
Angwin developed an acute case of Google Derangement Syndrome years ago, which looks increasingly out of touch with the competitive Internet of today as well as the AI revolution. This op-ed reads like something from ten years ago - not at all relevant today.
September 26, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Angwin developed an acute case of Google Derangement Syndrome years ago, which looks increasingly out of touch with the competitive Internet of today as well as the AI revolution. This op-ed reads like something from ten years ago - not at all relevant today.
5. Congress should impose mandatory data sharing b/c Google is too vulnerable to govt's whims.
Does Angwin really believe smaller companies are *more* likely to withstand Trump pressure?
Does Angwin really believe smaller companies are *more* likely to withstand Trump pressure?
September 26, 2025 at 8:59 PM
5. Congress should impose mandatory data sharing b/c Google is too vulnerable to govt's whims.
Does Angwin really believe smaller companies are *more* likely to withstand Trump pressure?
Does Angwin really believe smaller companies are *more* likely to withstand Trump pressure?
4. We need new rival search engines - for shopping, scholarly papers, and custom news search
I suggest Angwin check out:
Shopping → Amazon
Scholarly papers → JSTOR, SSRN
Custom news search → ChatGPT
This all exists already.
I suggest Angwin check out:
Shopping → Amazon
Scholarly papers → JSTOR, SSRN
Custom news search → ChatGPT
This all exists already.
September 26, 2025 at 8:59 PM
4. We need new rival search engines - for shopping, scholarly papers, and custom news search
I suggest Angwin check out:
Shopping → Amazon
Scholarly papers → JSTOR, SSRN
Custom news search → ChatGPT
This all exists already.
I suggest Angwin check out:
Shopping → Amazon
Scholarly papers → JSTOR, SSRN
Custom news search → ChatGPT
This all exists already.
3. Angwin: Courts should break up Google bc Trump is trying to censor speech
Reality: DOJ antitrust head Gail Slater argued that Google should be broken up *because* she didn't like the way it had allegedly censored conservatives!
Of course, the case was never *about* speech
Reality: DOJ antitrust head Gail Slater argued that Google should be broken up *because* she didn't like the way it had allegedly censored conservatives!
Of course, the case was never *about* speech
September 26, 2025 at 8:59 PM
3. Angwin: Courts should break up Google bc Trump is trying to censor speech
Reality: DOJ antitrust head Gail Slater argued that Google should be broken up *because* she didn't like the way it had allegedly censored conservatives!
Of course, the case was never *about* speech
Reality: DOJ antitrust head Gail Slater argued that Google should be broken up *because* she didn't like the way it had allegedly censored conservatives!
Of course, the case was never *about* speech
The LLM Leaderboard ranking the quality of LLMs doesn't even put Google's Gemini in the top 10!
artificialanalysis.ai/leaderboard...
artificialanalysis.ai/leaderboard...
September 26, 2025 at 8:59 PM
The LLM Leaderboard ranking the quality of LLMs doesn't even put Google's Gemini in the top 10!
artificialanalysis.ai/leaderboard...
artificialanalysis.ai/leaderboard...
2. Angwin: "Even the best AI models can't compete without regular access to Google's search index."
Tell that to OpenAI, Meta (Llama), and Anthropic. AI models are a lot more complicated than just access to a web search index. And
Tell that to OpenAI, Meta (Llama), and Anthropic. AI models are a lot more complicated than just access to a web search index. And
September 26, 2025 at 8:59 PM
2. Angwin: "Even the best AI models can't compete without regular access to Google's search index."
Tell that to OpenAI, Meta (Llama), and Anthropic. AI models are a lot more complicated than just access to a web search index. And
Tell that to OpenAI, Meta (Llama), and Anthropic. AI models are a lot more complicated than just access to a web search index. And
I wrote about this in @Newsweek: if you don't want Trump overseeing Google's search results (and I don't), be glad Judge Mehta rejected the DOJ's proposed technical committee that would have done exactly that:
www.newsweek.com/trump-bendi...
www.newsweek.com/trump-bendi...
Trump Wants To Control Google's Search Results | Opinion
President Donald Trump stands to gain unprecedented influence over the world's most powerful information tool.
www.newsweek.com
September 26, 2025 at 8:59 PM
I wrote about this in @Newsweek: if you don't want Trump overseeing Google's search results (and I don't), be glad Judge Mehta rejected the DOJ's proposed technical committee that would have done exactly that:
www.newsweek.com/trump-bendi...
www.newsweek.com/trump-bendi...
1. Angwin worries that the remedy opens door for the Trump Admin to start pressuring Google on search results.
But Trump has already been doing that, just like Biden Admin did before him. But the technical cmte Trump's DOJ was seeking in the G case would have gone further!
But Trump has already been doing that, just like Biden Admin did before him. But the technical cmte Trump's DOJ was seeking in the G case would have gone further!
September 26, 2025 at 8:59 PM
1. Angwin worries that the remedy opens door for the Trump Admin to start pressuring Google on search results.
But Trump has already been doing that, just like Biden Admin did before him. But the technical cmte Trump's DOJ was seeking in the G case would have gone further!
But Trump has already been doing that, just like Biden Admin did before him. But the technical cmte Trump's DOJ was seeking in the G case would have gone further!
5. The original liability finding will be appealed, and it’s likely that these remedies will also be put on hold until those appeals are exhausted.
So Google is unlikely to be required to adopt these changes soon - and maybe never, if it wins its appeal.
So Google is unlikely to be required to adopt these changes soon - and maybe never, if it wins its appeal.
September 2, 2025 at 9:23 PM
5. The original liability finding will be appealed, and it’s likely that these remedies will also be put on hold until those appeals are exhausted.
So Google is unlikely to be required to adopt these changes soon - and maybe never, if it wins its appeal.
So Google is unlikely to be required to adopt these changes soon - and maybe never, if it wins its appeal.