Part 3/8:
He recounts how corporations once feared the unregulated internet, envisioning it as a haven for criminals and fraudsters. To mitigate these risks, they created closed, controlled networks such as CompuServe, AOL, and Prodigy—distinct from the open and democratizing internet. These attempts, he argues, misunderstood the core strength of the internet: its openness, which democratized information and empowered users to communicate freely without censorship.