(2019-04-29) What If Facebook Were Owned By Its Users The Internet Health Report2019

What if Facebook were owned by its users? — The Internet Health Report 2019. Could there be a truly democratic way for users to steer companies?

Mapping such alternative forms of internet entrepreneurship – or “platform cooperativism” – is a passion of Nathan Schneider at the University of Colorado Boulder in the United States. Together with Trebor Scholz who initiated the Platform Cooperative Consortium at the New School in New York, he co-organized some early gatherings of the platform coop community.

Q: What is the problem platform cooperatives could solve?

We are in a major accountability crisis with the online economy. Companies are taking on utility roles, but we don’t have a choice of whether to use their services because there are no meaningful alternatives. (anti-trust)

When Uber backed out of Austin, Texas following a dispute with local authorities in 2016, it led to the creation of a new ride-sharing nonprofit, Ride Austin.

Q: Do you think big tech could evolve in the direction of cooperative models?

Involving users in ownership means making sure they are not getting cut out of the value they are creating

Q: The allure of venture capital funding is strong. What motivates founders to go for a cooperative business model instead?

One example is Jen Horonjeff, the founder of Savvy. It’s a health insights platform for patients and their families. She has a chronic illness.