[charcircuit]

>tech exemplifies "the hub exploiting the periphery".

Two parties agreeing on a price for something is not exploitation. Both parties benefit from working together.

[GolfPopper]

And when one of the parties is a group of men with guns who abuse their neighbors in order to produce the something they're selling to the other party, it becomes exploitation in a quick hurry.

[kruffalon]

There is also the fact that an agreement under a power imbalance can be, and often is, exploitative.

[Mikhail_Edoshin]

Marx's use of the word "exploitation" is misunderstood. Exploitation is using another person as a thing. Exploit as one exploits natural resources.

[lotsofpulp]

That is a poor delineation of exploit.

I use any number of professionals’ knowledge or skills or supplies just the same as I use natural gas to heat the home or water to hydrate myself or clean whatever.

Maybe something about the seller (or buyer) being under duress would be a start to defining exploitation.