The End of Freedom

While driving I tried to say “Hey Google, play me some chillout music.” Only to hear“Youtube Music isn’t available in driving mode for non paying customers right now.” But, I don’t remember putting my phone in driving mode.

In the 150,000 word manuscript for the book “Living Between Screens” I joked that pretty soon dating websites will charge you to use lower case letters when messaging potential dates.

Companies like Google and Facebook collect so much data, that it’s almost impossible to beat them in the long game. Another thing that I mentioned in that manuscript, was how Facebook held Friday meetings with elite psychologists, neuroscientists, data scientists. With those two things in your toolbox, it’s just not fair for the user. What chance does the user have at exercising an actual choice that isn’t being steered by the platform?

Getting back to my driving and trying to listen to some music. Fine. Fuck you Youtube Music. I don’t want to use you. I’ll use my other application, but Google won’t play songs from that application. It only assumes that I want to hear things on Youtube Music.

All of these assumptions, or better said predetermined conditions work out great for them, but are annoying for me. And, it’s very possible that if they figure out the right formula. Me — someone who thinks that marketing doesn’t work on him — that I may even give in and pay up.

And I, like any other individual, am at a disadvantage. They can wait it out, because to them I’m a drop in the bucket. Meanwhile, they’re making my drive annoying as shit! And I might even crash because their service suddenly has an arbitrary toll, a customized “paywall”. Can I sue them if I crash? I mean, perfectly knowing that they have the capability to make my drive less dangerous by just playing the music.