Yanis Varoufakis claims Amazon embodies "technofeudalism," while Benjamin Selwyn argues it shows capitalism's evolution.
Amazon seen as "technofeudalism"
Influence on economy and society
Historical comparison to East India Company
Labor critical to Amazon's success
Global supply chains intensify exploitation
Today's workforce vastly bigger than in Marx's time
Yanis Varoufakis suggests that Amazon represents a shift to “technofeudalism,” where its control of digital infrastructure requires payment of economic rents by businesses, governments, and users. This view may misinterpret capitalism’s nature.
Amazon and the Concept of Technofeudalism
Varoufakis believes that Amazon extracts rents instead of producing goods, drawing a parallel to historical entities like the East India Company. He claims that this model reflects an idealized perspective of capitalism.
In “Capital,” Karl Marx described how landlords established capitalism by taking land from peasants and earning monopoly rents. Varoufakis poses that today’s firms, such as Amazon, are following a similar path.
Labor’s Role in Amazon’s Model
While Varoufakis argues that Amazon simply extracts rents, the reality is that every product sold on the platform relies on human labor in various stages, from manufacturing to delivery.
This indicates that Amazon’s practices are not a return to feudalism but rather an evolution of capitalism, marked by global supply chains and intense cost-cutting that puts pressure on workers.
Impact of Capitalism on Today’s Workforce
Selwyn argues that the current workforce is much larger than during Marx’s era, and their ongoing exploitation supports the economic rents Varoufakis describes.
Labeling Amazon’s practices as “technofeudalism” could distract from understanding capitalism’s growing influence on production and daily life.
Alex Chen is a senior technology journalist with a decade of experience exploring the ever-evolving world of emerging technologies, cloud computing, hardware engineering, and AI-powered tools.
A graduate of Stanford University with a B.S. in Computer Engineering (2014), Alex blends his strong technical background with a journalist’s curiosity to provide insightful coverage of global innovations.
He has contributed to leading international outlets such as TechRadar, Tom’s Hardware, and The Verge, where his in-depth analyses and hardware reviews earned a reputation for precision and reliability.
Currently based in Paris, France, Alex focuses on bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world applications — from AI-driven productivity tools to next-generation gaming and cloud infrastructure. His work consistently highlights how technology reshapes industries, creativity, and the human experience.
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