Fixing the problem of big tech
Recording a Twitter thread here because its easier to refer back to than on Twitter
James Plunkett @jamestplunkett
Jun 29 2021
The key point is this: the problem with big tech companies isn’t just their size, it’s their status. We treat these institutions — Google, Facebook, Amazon — as companies, a legal form that dates back 150+ years, long before the idea of digital platforms even made sense
i.e. Facebook sits in the same legal regime as a corner shop. But running a global technology platform is nothing like running a corner shop. You can decide on everything from who gets to speak, to which small businesses should live or die.
So what are they, if not companies? Something new — that’s the issue. Over time we’ll need a new legal concept, reflecting that these are institutions of global social and economic significance — not public as such, but also not private — with rules that treat them that way
What does that mean? Three examples. First, opening up their data — after all, it’s really *our* data. Make data open by default (depersonalised, obviously) for entrepreneurs, researchers, and charities to use. Managed in the public interest — a bit like national parks.
Two, interoperability. To bridge the moats. You should be able to invite your Facebook friends to other platforms (they’re your friends after all) Or post from one platform to another. Or move your data. That weakens some of those monopoly-breeding data and network effects
Three, the rule of law. Zuckerberg once said Facebook is more like a government than a company. He was half right about this. They have state-like powers, but they’re more like a medieval monarch than a modern state. They have power that’s not yet constrained by rules.
Like a capricious monarch, big tech companies can use their power for private gain — favouring their own products over others in search results, or severing access to their ecosystems to kill off a competitor. We need external checks and balances.
None of this is simple, of course. Just like when we tamed the original industrial (pre-digital) monopolies c.100 years ago, it will take decades to develop the new public institutions, laws, and norms that we need.
When we get this right — and we can (like we did last time) — the payoff will be huge. It’s not just about limiting harm, it’s about unleashing benefits. Not breaking up big tech but *opening* it up, so that it’s productive potential can benefit society as a whole
If you’re interested in these debates, there’s lots more in End State here: http://smarturl.it/EndState The task of taming big tech monopolies is just one part of a much bigger challenge: how do we govern the digital age?
