Why “Cyberselfish,” Written 25 Years Ago, Is Suddenly Relevant Again | Amanpour and Company

Some 30 years ago Silicon Valley promised to change the world, and it did -- just not in the way many imagined. Today, a handful of tech billionaires wield extraordinary power over our politics, our economy, our public discourse, and even our thoughts. One journalist saw the danger coming long before Big Tech became Big Power. In her book "Cyberselfish" (2000), Paulina Borsook warned that Silicon Valley's libertarian ideology, disdain for government, and worship of wealth could exert malevolent influence far beyond the borders of California. Borsook's once-overlooked book is now being republished for a new generation. Michel Martin speaks with the author about why her critique is resonating now. Originally aired on July 31, 2026 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Major support for Amanpour and Company is provided by the Anderson Family Endowment, Jim Attwood and Leslie Williams, Candace King Weir, the Sylvia A. and Simon B. Poyta Programming Endowment to Fight Antisemitism, the Straus Family Foundation, The Peter G. Peterson & Joan Ganz Cooney Fund, Charles Rosenblum, Monique Schoen Warshaw, Koo and Patricia Yuen and Barbara Hope Zuckerberg. Subscribe to the Amanpour and Company channel here: https://bit.ly/2EMIkTJ Subscribe to our daily newsletter to find out who's on each night: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-... For more from Amanpour and Company, including full episodes, click here: https://to.pbs.org/2NBFpjf This program is made possible by viewers like you. Please support your local PBS station: http://www.pbs.org/donate Like Amanpour and Company on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2HNx3EF Follow Amanpour and Company on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2HLpjTI Follow Amanpour and Company on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3SaTUhk Watch Amanpour and Company weekdays on PBS (check local listings). Amanpour and Company features wide-ranging, in-depth conversations with global thought leaders and cultural influencers on the issues and trends impacting the world each day, from politics, business and technology to arts, science and sports. Christiane Amanpour leads the conversation on global and domestic news from London with contributions by prominent journalists Walter Isaacson, Michel Martin, and Hari Sreenivasan from the Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center in New York City. #amanpourpbs