Doing the Right Thing. Finally.
Big Tech behaving responsibly in the fight against coronavirus. The MadHATTERs Editorial, 19 March 2020
MadHATTERs Weekly
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Last Wednesday the White House got together — via teleconference, of course — with Big Tech to discuss how they can help the US government fight the coronovirus outbreak. On the agenda: coordinating efforts to stop conspiracy theories spreading on social media, and how to tap Silicon Valley’s immense data-crunching capabilities for a better grip on the virus.
To their credit, Big Tech have been proactive even before the White House summons. Facebook and Twitter cracking down on misinformation, directing people to reliable information sources and granting free ads to public health organisations like WHO. Amazon and eBay removing sales of face masks and hand sanitisers to stop pandemic profiteering (pop quiz: what do you do with 17,700 unsold bottles of sanitiser?). Google, Microsoft and Zoom offering free software to facilitate remote working. Facebook data – apparently aggregated and anonymised — being used by researchers trying to understand the outbreak. And Amazon treating its staff like (gasp!) humans by offering them sick pay.
These past weeks have shown how Big Tech can channel their might towards being a force for good. While false claims and conspiracy theories still circulate on social media, the most-shared coronavirus content have apparently been hard news, solid medical advice and uplifting moments. Says a lot when you trust Facebook or Twitter more than heads of state who bigged up a Google info website before it was ready…
This could all be one big reputation-salvaging exercise. But the true test may come sooner than we think. Social distancing could move campaigning for the US presidential elections away from face-to-face to online (£), giving Big Tech even more power. After this recent spike of goodwill, the onus on them will be even greater, to behave responsibly. To keep doing the right thing, finally.
MadHATTERs is a weekly newsletter covering technology, personal data, and the Internet. Its perspective championing decentralised personal data is led by Dataswift with the Hub of All Things (HAT) technology. If you like what you read, subscribe to receive MadHATTERs in your inbox. Find out more about the HAT at www.hubofallthings.com
