Cory Doctorow argues in *The Internet Con* that Big Tech’s dominance stems from legal barriers, not technological superiority. He proposes interoperability—enabling platforms to interact—as a remedy. Voluntary interoperability, like universal lightbulb sockets, fosters competition. Mandatory interoperability, enforced by law, could dismantle monopolies by lowering switching costs. For example, mandating APIs for platforms like Twitter (now X) would let users migrate data freely, reducing lock-in.

Doctorow distinguishes adversarial interoperability, or "comcom," where rivals reverse-engineer closed systems. Historical examples, like Apple’s iWork challenging Microsoft Office, show how this drives innovation. He contends that today’s walled gardens, such as iOS, rely on legal threats, not engineering, to stifle competition. "If I’m the world champion boxer and jail anyone who challenges me, how do we know my skill?" he asks.

Legal reforms could mandate Right to Exit provisions, ensuring users retain followers and data when leaving platforms. Pairing this with ActivityPub APIs—a decentralized standard—would force companies to treat users fairly. Doctorow believes this creates a virtuous cycle: breaking monopolies weakens their lobbying power, enabling further interoperability.

While critics argue interoperability undermines network effects, Doctorow counters that it empowers users. By enabling seamless transitions between platforms, it revives competition, aligning tech with democratic values. As he states, "When a sector is concentrated, bad actors take over." Interoperability isn’t just technical—it’s a fight for the open web’s future.