Wrenching us out of the ‘age of anonymity’ brought about by urbanisation and industrialisation, the information age has profoundly diminished privacy as we increasingly share our personal data in exchange for a vast array of services. With the loss of privacy has come a new kind of power broker: tech leaders who control the flow of information and, increasingly, influence world leaders. In this Aeon interview, the UK-based Italian philosopher Luciano Floridi examines how the power paradigm is shifting in the 21st century, and suggests that rushing to answer questions about privacy and policymaking is exactly the wrong way for society to best adapt to the precipitous change of the times.