The rise of the network society

Previous chapters have dealt with how new generations of online consumers have become powerful. For the first time in history, retailers need to bow to the demands of the customers instead of the other way around. Onlife consumers are able to reap the benefits of the smart, sharing, circular and platform economy. However, this new economic order does present us with many important social issues. How might we curb the power of large technological companies and shopping ecosystems to leave room for other participants of the retail value chain? Web stores operating in one country and similar suppliers are in danger of being wiped out as the power of huge global operators continues to grow. How can we ensure global neutrality, safety and accessibility for the Internet? Cybercrime, hackers and terrorism already present a huge threat. Last of all, how do we prevent an increased social divide? Even now, billions of people have no Internet access, while a mere handful of powerful CEOs and stockholders take advantage of the collection and use of inconceivable amounts of personal data for their own personal wealth, the size of which is virtually beyond comprehension…