In January 2013, Aaron Swartz killed himself, aged 26. He was about to face trial, threatened with a $1 million lawsuit, not to mention up to fifty years in prison.
Pretty scary. What had he done? Harmed children, dealt drugs, committed murder? No, he had downloaded academic journals for everyone’s use which otherwise would require your bank details. Swartz believed in free access to information, in accordance with an open democracy, which he believed was being compromised. Then things got bad and January 2013 happened.
This is a documentary, directed by Brian Knappenberger, which charts the life of Aaron Swartz, computer prodigy, hactivist, and flag-bearer for social justice. Computers were always easy for Swartz who saw them as tools to make the world a better and more united place. He was at the forefront of software technology: developing, among other things, TheInfo.org (a precursor to Wikipedia), RSS, Reddit, the Creative Commons (an alternative copyright scheme). But Swartz had wider, longer-terms ambitions, and money was not his goal.
He sought social justice and helped set up DemandProgress.org whose first premise is to “[mobilize] the public to challenge entrenched power and promote freedom”. You get where Swartz was coming from and where he wanted to get to. But this landed him in a whole lot of bother. He ruffled significantly U.S. establishment feathers. He fought against and rallied support to overturn the infamous Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) – and won. He believed that open access to information was a constitutional right undermined by a corporate elite, who hid information or extorted money for access to it.
It was downloading academic journals ‘owned’ by JSTOR which finally did it for Swartz. The Feds became a very angry and persecuting bunch. Swartz took advantage of MIT’s free access to the JSTOR database and set up a laptop in a dark cupboard and pressed download. The Feds, in turn, set up a secret camera, and we watch as Swartz appears intermittently to check on progress. We feel for this guy. This was demanding progress in its first sense. But here’s the thing – Swartz damaged nothing and didn’t give or sell his downloads to anyone. Still he was aggressively pursued by the U.S. ‘justice system’ on 13 felony counts on the dubious basis of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (1986). But as Swartz would tell you: “There is no justice in following unjust laws”.
The story is unhurried, and slowly builds the case against Swartz’s persecutors. Deftly switching between scenes, Knappenberger keeps us hooked. We hear from influential commentators, in favour of Swartz, such as Tim Berners-Lee, Lawrence Lessig (Harvard Law Professor and mentor), family members, colleagues and girlfriends. We hear how Swartz was squeezed and emotionally brutalised for his hactivism. The story begins with the young Swartz at play with his brothers, engaged, enthusiastic. We see him alongside adult peers espousing future technology and social rights. We learn that Swartz didn’t get along with school or his teachers or his homework. He thought power was misappropriated and that Congress was ignorant and arrogant (who can argue?). We see how he makes and loses a fortune, defending himself against those power-seekers.
But what is Swartz’s appeal? Why Swartz the new icon? Four possible reasons. Swartz was undoubtedly a force for good or the better. He was a prodigy, maybe boy genius (and we all love those). He was likeable. And, as importantly . . . he was both geek and dude. Cute, good-looking, charming, unshaven, with a big mop of trendy semi-bohemian raven-black hair. Components which make an icon. We’ll see him on T-Shirts soon. Mr Geek Chic. There is something for everyone with Swartz.
His story is both an inspiration and a social tragedy which should never have happened. Whilst he operated outside ‘the system’, there are suggestions he wanted entry within ‘the system’, and to effect change there. But he wasn’t given the chance. The sobbing commentators at the end we could maybe do without – but their tears are genuine and right.
The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz is on general UK release from 29th August 2014.
Verdict ★★★★
