Digital Coups, Orbital Infrastructure, and the New Unregulated Power
In her powerful the TED Talk “This Is What a Digital Coup Looks Like,” investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr exposed how tech giants like Facebook enabled disinformation, political manipulation, and the quiet collapse of democratic accountability. Her revelations on Brexit and the 2016 U.S. election were a wake-up call—but only the beginning.
Today, we stand on the edge of something even larger: the construction of a private empire in orbit, one that merges global satellite constellations, private ground stations, and data centers into a seamless network of communication and control. And once again, the public is locked out of the conversation.
The Infrastructure of Influence
Cadwalladr’s original critique focused on data—how it was harvested, targeted, and weaponized via social platforms. But now, that power has moved up the stack.
Satellite mega-constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper are privatizing global internet access.
Private ground stations link those orbital platforms to vast hyperscale data centers, where AI systems decide what gets seen, by whom, and when.
Together, they form a new planetary nervous system—one run by corporations, shielded from democratic oversight.
If Facebook was a Trojan horse for information warfare, this is the next generation: a full-spectrum, physical-to-digital system of control.
Weaponized Connectivity
Cadwalladr warned of "weaponized data." Now we face weaponized infrastructure.
Starlink already plays a role in real-time military operations. These private networks can be used to cut access, throttle content, or prioritize state-favored narratives—all from space.
There are few international rules to prevent this. The companies behind these networks answer to shareholders and defense contracts, not citizens. It's a global architecture of influence, accessible only to the highest bidder.
The Colonial Logic of the Cloud
These satellite networks are being marketed as tools for “bridging the digital divide.” But the structure is familiar—a digital colonialism in orbit.
Who sets the rules of engagement in these networks?
What data rights do connected populations have?
Who audits the AI running at the edge, shaping what people see or don’t see?
There is a real risk that entire regions will receive a curated version of the internet—filtered, shaped, and surveilled for profit.
Ground Zero: The Data Centers Below
It’s not just about the satellites. Ground stations and cloud infrastructure are the brain of this empire. Hyperscale data centers—often located in politically quiet regions—house the algorithms that analyze our movements, thoughts, and habits.
These centers work in real time with space-based assets to:
Deploy real-time content moderation (or censorship)
Shape personalized media environments
Feed predictive policing and behavioral modeling systems
All this happens with little to no transparency. These aren’t “platforms” anymore. They’re private states.
What Comes Next? (And Who Decides?)
Cadwalladr ends her talk with a call to action: we need to wake up before democracy is lost entirely. But that was 2019.
In 2025, we must ask: how do we build democratic resistance to orbital power?
We need international coalitions for digital infrastructure governance
Public audit mechanisms for satellite and cloud-based AI systems
Stronger spectrum and orbital policy that prioritizes human rights over private monopolies
Without these measures, the same forces that manipulated elections will now own the sky—and everything beneath it.
References & Further Reading:
Carole Cadwalladr’s TED Talk: “This Is What a Digital Coup Looks Like”
Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
“Digital Colonialism: Why Big Tech Is Making the Global South Its Testing Ground” – Rest of World
“Weaponizing Social Media: The U.S. and Russia” – RAND Corporation
“Starlink, Defense Contracts, and the Militarization of Satellite Networks” – The Intercept
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