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Our Biggest Fight: Reclaiming Liberty, Humanity, and Dignity in the Digital Age
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
The internet as we know it is broken. Here’s how we can seize back control of our lives from the corporate algorithms and create a better internet—before it’s too late.
“In the spirit of Thomas Paine’s Revolution-era Common Sense , this manifesto challenges us to create new digital architectures to safeguard democracy.”—Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Elon Musk
It was once a utopian dream. But today’s internet, despite its conveniences and connectivity, is the primary cause of a pervasive unease that has taken hold in the U.S. and other democratic societies. It’s why youth suicide rates are rising, why politics has become toxic, and why our most important institutions are faltering.
Information is the lifeblood of any society, and our current system for distributing it is corrupted at its heart. Everything comes down to our ability to communicate openly and trustfully with each other. But, thanks to the dominant digital platforms and the ways they distort human behavior, we have lost that ability—while, at the same time, we’ve been robbed of the data that is rightfully ours.
The roots of this crisis, argue Frank McCourt and Michael Casey, lie in the prevailing order of the internet. In plain but forceful language, the authors—a civic entrepreneur and an acclaimed journalist—show how a centralized system controlled by a small group of for-profit entities has set this catastrophe in motion and eroded our personhood.
And then they describe a groundbreaking solution to reclaim rather than superficial, patchwork regulations, we must reimagine the very architecture of the internet. The resulting “third-generation internet” would replace the status quo with a new model marked by digital property rights, autonomy, and ownership.
Inspired by historical calls to action like Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Our Biggest Fight argues that we must act now to embed the core values of a free, democratic society in the internet of tomorrow. Do it right and we will finally, properly, unlock its immense potential.
The internet as we know it is broken. Here’s how we can seize back control of our lives from the corporate algorithms and create a better internet—before it’s too late.
“In the spirit of Thomas Paine’s Revolution-era Common Sense , this manifesto challenges us to create new digital architectures to safeguard democracy.”—Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Elon Musk
It was once a utopian dream. But today’s internet, despite its conveniences and connectivity, is the primary cause of a pervasive unease that has taken hold in the U.S. and other democratic societies. It’s why youth suicide rates are rising, why politics has become toxic, and why our most important institutions are faltering.
Information is the lifeblood of any society, and our current system for distributing it is corrupted at its heart. Everything comes down to our ability to communicate openly and trustfully with each other. But, thanks to the dominant digital platforms and the ways they distort human behavior, we have lost that ability—while, at the same time, we’ve been robbed of the data that is rightfully ours.
The roots of this crisis, argue Frank McCourt and Michael Casey, lie in the prevailing order of the internet. In plain but forceful language, the authors—a civic entrepreneur and an acclaimed journalist—show how a centralized system controlled by a small group of for-profit entities has set this catastrophe in motion and eroded our personhood.
And then they describe a groundbreaking solution to reclaim rather than superficial, patchwork regulations, we must reimagine the very architecture of the internet. The resulting “third-generation internet” would replace the status quo with a new model marked by digital property rights, autonomy, and ownership.
Inspired by historical calls to action like Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Our Biggest Fight argues that we must act now to embed the core values of a free, democratic society in the internet of tomorrow. Do it right and we will finally, properly, unlock its immense potential.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published March 12, 2024
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517 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 19, 2024
I, Open Source Developer, Brice Lambson, am begging you to read this book.
December 17, 2024
For crypto-enthusiasts Michael Casey’s name will ring a bell. He is one of the best known journalists in the field and the author of the highly successful book “The Age of Cryptocurrency.” Together with Frank H. McCourt Jr. he is taking on an even bigger issue in “Our Biggest Fight” - a clarion call for a digital revolution. With a blend of journalistic acumen and entrepreneurial insight, the authors paint a stark picture of a digital landscape dominated by a few powerful corporations that have compromised our privacy, eroded our democratic institutions, and fostered a climate of misinformation.
The book is a scathing indictment of the current internet model, where user data is treated as a commodity, and algorithmic control shapes our online experiences. McCourt and Casey argue persuasively that this centralized architecture has led to a loss of individual autonomy and a decline in civic engagement. They contend that the internet, originally conceived as a decentralized network of interconnected computers, has been hijacked by unstoppable behemoths.
A central thesis of the book is the need for a "third-generation internet." This new paradigm would prioritize user ownership of data, interoperability, and decentralized governance. The authors propose a series of concrete steps to achieve this vision, including the creation of digital identity wallets, data cooperatives, and new forms of digital currency.
While the book is undoubtedly critical of the status quo, it offers a constructive path forward. The authors’ deep understanding of the technological underpinnings of the internet, combined with their passion for democratic values, makes their arguments compelling. “Our Biggest Fight” is not merely a critique but a roadmap for a better digital future.
However, the book’s focus on technological solutions might overshadow the complex social and political challenges involved in transforming the internet. A more in-depth exploration of the role of government regulation and international cooperation in achieving a more autonomy-oriented digital ecosystem would have strengthened the authors’ argument.
Nevertheless, “Our Biggest Fight” is a timely and important contribution to the ongoing debate about the future of the internet. It is a book that should be read by anyone concerned about the erosion of privacy, the spread of misinformation, and the decline of democratic institutions. By offering a clear-eyed assessment of the problem and a compelling vision for the future, McCourt and Casey have written a book that is both a wake-up call and a blueprint for action.
The original book review can be found here: https://igorpejic.substack.com/
The book is a scathing indictment of the current internet model, where user data is treated as a commodity, and algorithmic control shapes our online experiences. McCourt and Casey argue persuasively that this centralized architecture has led to a loss of individual autonomy and a decline in civic engagement. They contend that the internet, originally conceived as a decentralized network of interconnected computers, has been hijacked by unstoppable behemoths.
A central thesis of the book is the need for a "third-generation internet." This new paradigm would prioritize user ownership of data, interoperability, and decentralized governance. The authors propose a series of concrete steps to achieve this vision, including the creation of digital identity wallets, data cooperatives, and new forms of digital currency.
While the book is undoubtedly critical of the status quo, it offers a constructive path forward. The authors’ deep understanding of the technological underpinnings of the internet, combined with their passion for democratic values, makes their arguments compelling. “Our Biggest Fight” is not merely a critique but a roadmap for a better digital future.
However, the book’s focus on technological solutions might overshadow the complex social and political challenges involved in transforming the internet. A more in-depth exploration of the role of government regulation and international cooperation in achieving a more autonomy-oriented digital ecosystem would have strengthened the authors’ argument.
Nevertheless, “Our Biggest Fight” is a timely and important contribution to the ongoing debate about the future of the internet. It is a book that should be read by anyone concerned about the erosion of privacy, the spread of misinformation, and the decline of democratic institutions. By offering a clear-eyed assessment of the problem and a compelling vision for the future, McCourt and Casey have written a book that is both a wake-up call and a blueprint for action.
The original book review can be found here: https://igorpejic.substack.com/
February 23, 2025
This little book has so much to unpack that I took notes while reading it. Essentially, the authors make the case that our current internet set-up and all the data on it is controlled by the large private platforms owned by Alphabet (Google) / Meta (Facebook, etc.) / Amazon / Microsoft / and Apple. They own our data and manipulate it using their various algorithms in order to maximize their influence on us (the people) for their maximum financial gain.
They focus on the need for regular people to regain control over their own data, and stop being just an IP address to these big platforms. The changes they propose fall into 4 areas: (1) Rights of Personhood; (2) Responsibilities and the Social Contract; (3) Rewards in the market economy; and (4) Rules / Governance.
Artificial intelligence is charging forward due to the closed system software developed and owned by the big internet platforms. People are being left in the dust because we haven't kept up - in their language, our emotions are still in the Paleolithic era / our institutions are still medieval / but our technology is becoming God-like.
They recommend creating a New Net - where people are in control of their own data and can choose to share it with whomever they choose - rather than surrendering it to the big platforms (who do God knows what with it). They state rather strongly that we need to do something different than just try to reform the existing internet - we need to create a new model where all the software is open sourced and available to anyone - thus removing the control / networks / and distribution now exercised by the big internet platforms.
While hopeful about their proposed changes, it is clear that we would be fighting an uphill battle to accomplish their New Net (essentially Internet 3rd generation (internet of people in charge) - vs. 1st generation (internet of machines) or 2nd generation (internet of data). The book was published in 2024, so it quite current.
They focus on the need for regular people to regain control over their own data, and stop being just an IP address to these big platforms. The changes they propose fall into 4 areas: (1) Rights of Personhood; (2) Responsibilities and the Social Contract; (3) Rewards in the market economy; and (4) Rules / Governance.
Artificial intelligence is charging forward due to the closed system software developed and owned by the big internet platforms. People are being left in the dust because we haven't kept up - in their language, our emotions are still in the Paleolithic era / our institutions are still medieval / but our technology is becoming God-like.
They recommend creating a New Net - where people are in control of their own data and can choose to share it with whomever they choose - rather than surrendering it to the big platforms (who do God knows what with it). They state rather strongly that we need to do something different than just try to reform the existing internet - we need to create a new model where all the software is open sourced and available to anyone - thus removing the control / networks / and distribution now exercised by the big internet platforms.
While hopeful about their proposed changes, it is clear that we would be fighting an uphill battle to accomplish their New Net (essentially Internet 3rd generation (internet of people in charge) - vs. 1st generation (internet of machines) or 2nd generation (internet of data). The book was published in 2024, so it quite current.
May 24, 2024
There were lots of things to like in this book--beginning with a clear description of how the internet has been built to reward a handful of corporate digital giants, and how unfair that is to users whose data has been co-opted to build these giants. I marked any number of quotes describing how rampant and greedy tech expansion has harmed communities and, especially, young people.
The book kind of serves as an explainer/promo for McCourt's Project Liberty, a sweeping (and, frankly, wildly optimistic) proposal for gutting and re-working the way the internet works, making it more community-focused and putting control of data back in the hands of end users. McCourt seems to think that folks--once they understand how they're being used-- will happily adopt what he's calling the NewNet. While that would be nice--he provides examples of how technological advances that could make life better and easier--I have some serious doubts. Most people who use the greedy giants-- Facebook, Google, X, Amazon--would not be willing to dump all their (minimal) user knowledge and start over.
Still, the book gave me hope. Four stars.
The book kind of serves as an explainer/promo for McCourt's Project Liberty, a sweeping (and, frankly, wildly optimistic) proposal for gutting and re-working the way the internet works, making it more community-focused and putting control of data back in the hands of end users. McCourt seems to think that folks--once they understand how they're being used-- will happily adopt what he's calling the NewNet. While that would be nice--he provides examples of how technological advances that could make life better and easier--I have some serious doubts. Most people who use the greedy giants-- Facebook, Google, X, Amazon--would not be willing to dump all their (minimal) user knowledge and start over.
Still, the book gave me hope. Four stars.
September 20, 2025
Holy hell, so much going on w/ this book; kind of all over the place. While the point of this book is all about the digital age that has taken over everything & how unregulated it is. Pretty damn scary. How it gets to that point is more roundabout than I would have preferred. The issue at hand is a huge problem & not enough people understand the lack of privacy & how Big Brother is watching every damn thing. People really need to learn more but also not believe everything they see online either. Such a conundrum.
November 9, 2025
Describes how the internet as currently constituted is designed to hijack our attention and feed the worst parts of our nature while concentrating power in the hands of a few huge corporations. Makes an argument that we should change the nature of the internet so that individuals control their data and can take it with them to any platform they choose, restoring personal autonomy and allowing people to break away from corporate manipulation.
April 12, 2025
I'm more than a month out writing this review (classic), but one of the ideas that stuck with me was that social media apps are "free" right? We don't pay money for them. But think about what we do give up for them: time attention, general well-being and happiness. Is it worth it? Are they really free?
July 28, 2025
I am not a fan of books that don't use references, citations, or notes to specify where exactly the facts are coming from. I think the message that companies use our data for personal gain and we should reclaim that data is important. I just think it shouldn't be repeated nonstop for 200 pages, the entire bulk of the book was covered in the introduction.
October 4, 2025
Excellent and enlightening call to action against tech monopolies. I came to this book after listening to Governor Cox of Utah on the Ezra Klein Show for the NYT after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. My only critique is that I finished the book left unsure about how to actually make these changes happen, as much as I would love to see them.
September 15, 2024
Frightening book about the dangers of the internet and the loss of control over our personal data. Some of the technical issues I had to gloss over due to lack of interest but I got the message loud & clear.
October 16, 2024
A compelling read into everything we've given up to build our own prisons. I think we are too far down the digital path to implement many of the author's ideas, however I do appreciate the compelling case he makes for digital autonomy.
June 16, 2024
Highly recommended. Gives much hope for escaping high tech platforms that control your data and control the content fed to you.
March 11, 2025
Struck a hopeful tone when I started reading it in 2024, picked it back up in 2025 and it’s a bit darker
July 22, 2025
Thought-provoking and worrisome analysis of the state of our tech-driven society. The author has a largely technical proscription but doesn't provide a concrete picture of how it might work.
October 19, 2025
Book lays out the brokenness of our current system. Gives reason for hope.
November 8, 2025
Very good and very timely. It’s great to see these ideas being discussed so eloquently.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews