In a recent interview published by WIRED under the headline “Why the Web Could Melt Down Over and Over,” Techdirt founder Mike Masnick and former Google executive Alex Komoroske explored the systemic vulnerabilities within today’s digital infrastructure and the potential for repeated breakdowns unless fundamental changes are made in how digital innovation and cooperation are approached.
The conversation, facilitated as part of WIRED’s “Big Interview” series, uncovers the growing tension between the decentralized roots of the internet and the increasingly siloed and centralized systems that dominate the modern web. Masnick and Komoroske, each drawing on years of experience observing and participating in digital policy and product development, underscored how the consolidation of power in a handful of technology platforms has eroded the internet’s original promise of openness and resilience.
A central theme of the interview was the critical role of what Komoroske calls “common tools”—shared infrastructures, standards, and resources that enable broad-based participation in digital innovation. These common tools, such as open-source software, interoperable protocols, and transparent governance structures, have historically allowed independent developers, small companies, and public-interest groups to build on top of the web. However, both Komoroske and Masnick expressed concern that these tools are being neglected or actively undermined, leading to a brittle ecosystem overly dependent on a few closed platforms.
Masnick pointed to recent high-profile incidents, including platform algorithm changes and API shutdowns, that have had widespread ripple effects, in some cases crippling third-party services and cutting off access for entire communities of users and developers. These events, he argued, are not isolated but symptomatic of deeper architectural imbalances that allow companies to prioritize proprietary advantage over collective robustness.
Komoroske expanded this critique, arguing that the incentives driving today’s tech giants frequently discourage cooperation, even when shared progress would yield higher collective value. “There’s this bigger question of how we coordinate around common goals,” he said, noting that the digital world lacks many of the civic institutions and norms that enable cooperation in the physical realms, such as transportation and public health.
The interview also explored potential avenues for reform. Both Masnick and Komoroske rejected nostalgic calls for simply returning to a prior version of the internet. Instead, they advocated for proactive measures to build new institutions and mechanisms that support shared digital infrastructure—akin to “digital public works.” Possible solutions included policy interventions to protect platform interoperability, investments in open-source software maintenance, and the encouragement of user-centric design practices that align the interests of platforms with those of their broader ecosystems.
Throughout the discussion, Komoroske highlighted the risks inherent in ignoring these systemic challenges. In his view, the increasing fragility of digital systems—manifesting as repeated meltdowns, service failures, and breakdowns in public trust—reflects the absence of an effective capability for collective action online. Without deliberate efforts to rebuild this capacity, he warned, the web will continue to experience crises that are both avoidable and enormously consequential.
Masnick added that a healthier digital future will require not only technological redesigns but also cultural shifts. “We need to value cooperation again,” he said, emphasizing the role that norms, expectations, and shared narratives play in shaping both policy and product development.
As the digital ecosystem grows more complex and integral to nearly every sector of society, the insights raised in WIRED’s “Why the Web Could Melt Down Over and Over” remain urgent. The stakes extend beyond individual platforms or policy debates: they touch on the internet’s ability to serve as a vibrant, inclusive engine of innovation in the decades to come.
