The important thing to remember with the Internet is that there are large companies that have an interest in controlling how information flows in it. They're very effective at lobbying Congress, and that pattern has locked down other communication media in the past. And it will happen again unless we do something about it.

Eli Pariser’s quote warns about the influence of large companies in shaping the way information flows across the Internet. He highlights the powerful role these corporations play in controlling and directing the digital landscape, which has significant implications for the free and open exchange of information. Pariser suggests that these companies have a vested interest in managing the flow of data, which can ultimately affect what people see, hear, and learn online.

The quote also touches on the idea that these companies are highly effective at lobbying Congress to influence policy and legislation that favors their interests. Pariser is referring to the political power these companies wield in shaping regulations, often to the detriment of public access to unbiased or diverse information. This lobbying has been a key factor in how other communication media—like television and radio—have been shaped by corporate interests in the past.

Pariser warns that the same patterns that restricted the flow of information in traditional media are now being replicated on the Internet. If left unchecked, these forces can erode the openness and accessibility that the Internet was originally built upon. The ability to control what information people access online could lead to a system where only a limited set of voices and perspectives are heard.

Ultimately, Pariser’s quote calls for action. He stresses that if we do not actively protect the freedom of information and resist corporate influence, history will repeat itself, and the Internet will become another medium dominated by corporate control, limiting the diversity and openness that have made it a powerful tool for communication and democracy.