Network State eyes Native American reservations
Plus: An ‘unhinged rumor‘ about Peter Thiel and Washington D.C.
Kiera Butler of Mother Jones reports on a plan to establish a “crypto paradise” on a Native American reservation:
Kiera Butler
The piece provides a good overview of the Network State movement, which chief Network State evangelist Balaji Srinivasan has described as “tech Zionism.”
Butler writes:
A network state would, like a kind of Pac-Man, gobble up little pieces of actual land, eventually amassing so much economic power that other nations would be forced to recognize it. Once that happens, laws in more conventional nations could become almost irrelevant.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump promised to create 10 new cities on federal land. These can best be described as fascist cities — corporate-run autocratic dystopias — but Trump calls them “Freedom Cities.” Whatever you call them, the idea is clearly a sop to the Network State movement, which is actively lobbying for the creation of these things.
‘Absolutely Unhinged Rumor’ About Thiel Sweeps TikTok and Instagram
Expect to hear more talk about the Network State in the coming months. And beware of misinformation on the topic.
Last week, a TikTok influencer published a viral video claiming Donald Trump is planning to give Washington D.C. to tech billionaire Peter Thiel to run as his own personal fiefdom. The influencer then went on to connect this rumor to the freedom city issue. The video got zillions of views and responses on TikTok and Instagram.
But here's the problem: There's zero evidence to support the claim about Thiel. The influencer, Cheyenne Hunt, describes it as an “absolutely unhinged rumor.” She goes on to say “I'm not a journalist...what I'm about to share with you is just a rumor.” Then she lays out the unverified claim and ends by encouraging people to organize against the freedom city idea.
Quite a few people sent the video my way. As one of the few journalists who covers this issue, I cringed. While I certainly want to increase public awareness of the issue, spreading unverified rumors is unhelpful. It is hard enough to get people to pay attention to this issue by presenting verified facts. Tying this crucial issue to an “unhinged rumor” pushes it into conspiracy theory territory and makes it harder to break through.
Hunt, a former congressional staffer who ran an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 2024, claims she heard the rumor in Washington D.C. Coincidentally, I recently participated in a briefing for congressional staffers. My talk focused on freedom cities and Network State projects that are being openly pursued.
Crazy rumors sometimes turn out to be true. But as a journalist, I believe it is crucial to verify facts before publishing stories. To ignore that step is to become a vector of misinformation—and a ripe target for lawsuits.
I cover this issue closely. No one has said about word about Thiel taking D.C.
Perhaps it is a positive sign that influencers want to take on the issue. But it is always best to avoid spreading “unhinged rumors.” The truth is strange and horrifying enough.
So, when someone starts a video by saying “Don't quote me, this is literally just a rumor,” please scroll right past it.
For verified information on this issue, see my recent piece in Tech Policy Press:
Gil Duran
And here's a five-minute video explainer:
