The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

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Reddit Co-founder Aaron Swartz’s life sounds like a Silicon Valley fairy tale—until the feds come knocking.

It’s the story of a programming prodigy taking on the government and corporate greed head-to-head.

Because he feels their f*ckin with our freedom.

I rank “The Internet’s Own Boy” high up on my list of “Best Documentaries on Internet Entrepreneurs” (I’ll try to publish that list this year!).

Trailer for “The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz”

Watch “The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz”

You can watch “The Internet’s Own Boy” for free on YouTube here:

Here are other links to watch it for free:

You can find the latest streaming options at https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-internets-own-boy-the-story-of-aaron-swartz (though it only shows Hoopla when I last checked (on Sept. 17, 2024).

Ratings:

  • My Rating: 93/100
  • IMDB Rating: 8/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 91/100 (Users); 93/100 (Critics)

Release Date: June 27, 2014

My Review of “The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz”

The tragic story of Aaron Swartz is both inspiring and heart-wrenching, leaving you wondering how such brilliance can lead to such tragedy.

Introduction to Genius and Activism

Directed by Brian Knappenberger, this 105-minute doc doesn’t waste time making you feel the tension between creativity and bureaucracy.

You meet Swartz as a child genius.

By the age of 12, Aaron was already helping to build RSS, a cornerstone of the web as we know it.

By 19, he was co-founding Reddit, one of the most influential platforms of the internet age.

But this isn’t just about coding.

Swartz believed deeply in free information and open access.

He was relentless in his mission to democratize the internet.

This belief would eventually lead him into legal troubles with the U.S. government.

From Prodigy to Target

Swartz wasn’t just another Silicon Valley wunderkind.

He was deeply involved in political activism, co-founding Demand Progress, a group that fought against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

This doc puts you right there in 2011 when thousands of websites went dark to protest the bill.

Swartz’s leadership was crucial in mobilizing the internet against SOPA. The doc showcases the intensity of his commitment.

But his activism didn’t end with SOPA. The doc moves swiftly to his final battle: Swartz’s decision to download millions of academic articles from JSTOR, the academic journal archive. His goal? To make knowledge freely accessible. What he probably didn’t expect was the wrath of the federal government.

A Legal and Personal Struggle

Here’s where the doc’s mood shifts. You feel the weight of Swartz’s fight against a legal system bent on making an example out of him. Prosecutors charged him with multiple felonies, and he was facing up to 35 years in prison.

The doc shows this isn’t just a story of a man vs. the law; it’s about how far-reaching institutions like the Department of Justice can impact the lives of individuals standing against them.

Brian Knappenberger weaves in raw footage of Swartz’s speeches and interviews, where his voice rings clear and unshakeable.

But as the legal battles mount, you see a man who was slowly being broken by the system he fought so hard to improve.

Lesser-Known Details: Personal Moments and Struggles

Here’s something that many reviews miss. The doc touches on how personal relationships kept Swartz going, even as he fought an uphill battle.

His then-girlfriend, Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, gives a gut-wrenching account of Aaron’s mental and emotional struggles. You hear from his family too.

Friends recall him frequently skipping meals, losing weight, and struggling with insomnia.

At one point, his girlfriend Taren describes how he became so exhausted and overwhelmed that he suffered from severe migraines and was physically drained to the point of collapse.

His mother recounts her fears, her voice cracking as she describes Aaron’s growing sense of isolation.

One lesser-known fact is that Aaron was offered a plea deal.

He could have avoided jail time by pleading guilty to a felony, but he refused. It’s these kinds of decisions—ones rooted in principle—that show the depth of Swartz’s character.

Yet, they also add a tragic layer, knowing the toll they took on him.

The doc doesn’t shy away from showing Aaron’s darker side, either.

His friends talk about his obsessive tendencies and how his relentless pursuit of justice might have come at the cost of his own wellbeing.

The internet never stops, and neither did Aaron, to his own detriment.

His friends talk about his obsessive tendencies.

Like how he would work through the night, coding and writing without stopping, often going days on end with little sleep.

He fixated on projects, drafting countless blog posts about the flaws of intellectual property laws.

He also had a habit of endlessly revising his work, unable to let go until he felt it was perfect.

For instance, friends recount how Aaron would obsessively tweak his blog posts and essays, even after they were published.

He’d frequently revisit old entries, making small edits, changing wording, or adding new insights long after most people would have considered the piece complete.

In one case, he reworked a single article about open access and the flaws in copyright law dozens of times over several months, constantly seeking the most precise language to express his argument.

You Can’t Make This $hit Up

One of the most unbelievable facts in the documentary? Swartz downloaded 4 million academic journal articles, not to sell or profit from, but to make them freely available to the public.

At his trial, he was essentially being treated like a digital-age Robin Hood.

Despite JSTOR declining to press charges, the government proceeded full throttle.

The doc makes you question the logic behind such an aggressive prosecution.

A Life Cut Short

The tragic crescendo of “The Internet’s Own Boy” comes with Aaron’s suicide at age 26, a haunting reminder of the stakes in battles between individuals and institutions.

The documentary makes you feel the gravity of Swartz’s death not only as a personal loss but as a loss for the world of activism and internet freedom.

Knappenberger succeeds in giving Aaron’s story the weight it deserves.

We see a kid who loved the internet, who wanted to make the world a better place, and who paid the ultimate price for his ideals.

The doc also forces you to think about the harsh realities of our legal system. Was it worth driving this brilliant young man to despair over some journal articles?

The Fight for Open Access

The doc doesn’t end on a purely mournful note.

In fact, one of its most powerful aspects is how it lays out the future of the fight Aaron was involved in. Even after his death, the open-access movement is alive and well.

The film shows how his legacy has inspired a new generation of activists.

From campaigns like “The Day We Fight Back” to various organizations pushing for open access to information, Swartz’s story lives on.

Aaron’s legacy isn’t just in his work. It’s in the millions of people who continue to fight for a more just internet.

His friends, colleagues, and fellow activists are still out there, keeping the spirit of his activism alive.

The doc highlights people like Larry Lessig, who was Swartz’s mentor and continues to advocate for the causes Aaron cared about.

Final Thoughts

By the end, “The Internet’s Own Boy” leaves you feeling both inspired and heartbroken. Inspired by Swartz’s commitment and talent, heartbroken by the system that crushed him.

It makes you wonder: How many more Aaron Swartzes are out there, and how many will meet the same fate?

Brian Knappenberger’s documentary doesn’t ask you to agree with everything Aaron Swartz did. Instead, it challenges you to think about what kind of world we want to live in—a world where knowledge is free, or one where it’s locked behind paywalls and prosecuted.

Thanks for reading!

Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc

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