Sociological theorizing: I think that the trend of taking away features and choice from software users is not a singular phenomenon.

This authoritarian mindset must come from somewhere, and I believe it mirrors the move towards surveillance and control in society at large.

There is no reason for developers to remove features that many users depend on other than the desire to control. Yes, it makes coding easier (in some cases) but it also angers a large portion of your user base. So there must be some other explanation besides, “We just didn’t feel like implementing this,” especially when it was a feature that already existed.

Contrary to what is fashionable to believe lately by those who are barely cognizant of what they are measuring (or how to do so), I do believe there are certain trends in a society, and furthermore I believe there are rough but discernible generational differences (no matter how many scientists insist that there is not). After all, how could a generation that experienced the Cuban Missile Crisis and the worst of the Cold War not be different than one that experienced the rise of the internet and 9/11?

That said, I believe the increase in software authoritarianism is caused and reinforced by the general trend of the society veering that direction. To wit: the Patriot Act. Drone Strikes. NSA surveillance. I could go on.

Nothing in society happens by itself. It’s all a mesh, and all connected. No matter how many people attempt to disprove it, it’s still true.