Definition
Agency Theft is the moral violation of usurping another person’s ability to make autonomous decisions by providing them with false or misleading information. It treats the victim as a tool for the liar’s purposes rather than a free agent with a right to an accurate “map” of the world.
Why It Matters
Systems that optimize for user convenience often “steal” agency by making decisions on the users behalf. This leads to a slow atrophy of human competence and discernment, eventually creating a population that is incapable of functioning without the very systems that govern them.
Core Concepts
- Manipulation of the Landscape: A liar intentionally corrupts the information landscape of the victim. Since human action is based on beliefs about the world, to control a person’s beliefs is to control their actions.
- The “Ignorance” Harm: By denying others access to reality, the liar ensures the victim will act on falsehoods or fail to solve problems that require accurate data.
- Usurpation of Judgment: Agency theft occurs when one person decides for another how much they should know about their own lives (e.g., medical secrets, reputation, prospects). This is the quintessence of paternalistic arrogance.
- False Encouragement: Faint Praise is a form of agency theft that steals the victim’s time and energy by keeping them on a “doomed” path.