Once upon a time there was a mouse mat. A mouse mat that threatened to undermine global efforts to avert nuclear warfare. The sales photo on Etsy showed a blameless-looking rubber rectangle, hand made in Leicester, with a Persian rug motif. But PayPal decided that it violated international sanctions and suspended the account of the unsuspecting purchaser.
To understand the modern business model – and the contents of my consumer inbox – look no further than this “illicit” item.
A computer algorithm
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