‘Cyberselfish’ author takes aim at techno-libertarianism as her book returns from the dead
- ID
- 39330
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 26 Oct 2026, 4:20 AM
- Fetched
- 26 Oct 2026, 6:11 AM
- Provider
- TechCrunch
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/25/cyberselfish-author-takes-aim-at-techno-libertarianism-as-her-book-returns-from-the-dead/
- Source URL
- https://techcrunch.com/feed/
Summary
- Score
- 2.5
- Created
- 26 Oct 2026, 6:11 AM
- Tags
- Audience
- developerssaas_founders
What happened
TechCrunch reports that Paulina Borsook’s 2000 book “Cyberselfish” is returning in a new Tin House edition after going out of print. In the interview, Borsook describes the book as a travelogue of Silicon Valley’s techno-libertarian culture, calling it “violently anti-regulation” and saying that attitude persisted and spread after the dot-com crash. The piece cites renewed interest via Gil Durán, a New York Times report, rising used-copy prices, and inquiries from European academics.
Why it matters
There is no direct product, API, funding, or Malaysia/Southeast Asia policy detail here, so builders should not change tooling or compliance plans based on it. Its practical use is only cultural context: the concrete hook is Borsook’s “violently anti-regulation” framing and the 2000 book’s revival, useful if you are discussing why startup/AI circles resist regulation — not as a signal for local SaaS or developer decisions.
Discussion angle
Ask whether the “violently anti-regulation” stance Borsook describes still shows up in AI/SaaS product decisions — such as data retention, cloud contracts, or payments compliance — and which of those choices would actually cost a Malaysian founder money or trust.