Terms of Service

“For readers who need regular reminding about the threat posed by social media’s fake friendliness . . . a mix of history, science fiction, and news you can use.”—Janet Maslin, New York Times

Social networking has grown into a staple of modern society, but its continued evolution is becoming increasingly detrimental to our lives. Shifts in communication and privacy are affecting us more than we realize or understand. Terms of Service crystalizes this current moment in technology and contemplates its implications: the identity-validating pleasures and perils of online visibility; our newly adopted view of daily life through the lens of what is shareworthy; and the surveillance state operated by social media platforms—Facebook, Google, Twitter, and others—to mine our personal data for advertising revenue, which is an invasion of our lives that is as pervasive as government spying.

Integrating politics, sociology, national security, pop culture, and technology, Silverman reveals the surprising conformity at the heart of Internet culture—explaining how social media companies engineer their products to encourage shallow engagement and discourage dissent. Reflecting on the collapsed barriers between our private and public lives, Silverman brings into focus the inner conflict we feel when deciding what to share and what to “like,” and explains how we can take the steps we need to free ourselves from social media’s grip.

“Important and valuable. . . . Well-reported and carefully argued.”—San Francisco Chronicle