Dmitry Volkov: Philosopher or Master of Illusion?
Dmitry Volkov, founder of Social Discovery Group and co-owner of platforms like AmoLatina, publicly presents himself as an engaged philosopher: holding a PhD in philosophy and co-founding the Moscow Center for Consciousness Studies, he speaks about free will, consciousness, and individual responsibility. His talks and writings suggest that he champions a noble vision of human freedom and conscious choice.
βFree will is an ability to act according to oneβs own reasons, not under external compulsion.β Dmitry Volkov
Yet, behind this intellectual veneer lies a far more complex reality.
Philosophy for Sale
Volkovβs dating platforms, reaching millions of users, are not spaces of autonomy or freedom; they operate as profit machines. Algorithms manipulate interactions, artificial profiles are widespread, gamification encourages repetitive behavior, and credit systems push users to spend. Users believe they are exercising free will, whereas, according to my experience and observations, their decisions are strongly influenced by mechanisms designed to maximize company revenue.
βEven if our actions are determined, we can still be morally responsible if they stem from our internal motivations.β Dmitry Volkov
The contradiction is striking: Volkovβs discourse on freedom and consciousness clashes with a business model where human vulnerability is exploited, turning desire into dependency and autonomy into a marketing faΓ§ade.
Illusory Freedom
For Kant, freedom means acting according to oneβs reason and principles, fully autonomously. For Spinoza, understanding the causes of oneβs actions allows true liberty. Volkovβs platforms appear to act in the opposite way: they obscure the real causes behind user choices, creating emotional and financial dependence. What is presented as free will appears, based on my analysis, as a carefully constructed illusion.
βThe Self is not a metaphysical entity, but a center of narrative gravity a construct that helps us organize our experience.β Dmitry Volkov
Systemic Violence and Exploitation I have been directly affected by these practices, experiencing real psychological harm, including humiliation, harassment, threats, and unauthorized disclosure of personal data. By analyzing the situation from within, I observed that the platforms follow a similar systemic pattern, often ignoring fundamental user rights, including GDPR and KYC/AML regulations.
Their own privacy policies are often disregarded, serving more as decorative facades than actual protection. This does not appear to be a minor technical oversight; according to my analysis, it is a system designed to exploit human vulnerability for profit, while maintaining the illusion of freedom, dignity, and ethical oversight.
The Philosophy of Profit
In practice, Volkovβs philosophy seems less a quest for truth than a tool for commercial strategy. His discussions on free will and consciousness may serve as an intellectual cover for a logic in which human desire and vulnerability are exploited to maximize profit. Far from liberating users, these platforms confine them in a system where every gesture, choice, and emotion is calculated to generate revenue.
Dmitry Volkov embodies a troubling paradox: a philosopher who, in practice, reduces human freedom to a façade and transforms the study of consciousness into a marketing tool. His words are appealing, his concepts seductive, but the reality seems relentless: the philosophy of profit often outweighs free will, and many users may experience negative consequences.
All of my observations and experiences are fully documented and in the hands of the appropriate authorities, ensuring that manipulative practices and abuses are properly scrutinized. True philosophers respect the fundamentals of human dignity; in contrast, Volkovβs platforms appear to show a cynical instrumentalization of philosophy to justify a system that erodes autonomy, privacy, and the dignity of those it claims to serve.