Breaking FB and Google Up
In lieu of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, data privacy issues have become somewhat of a significant concern (at least during the period of time when it was heavily reported by the press). Another aspect that we should also consider is in the degree of influence in which FB, Google and many other technology companies have had on our everyday lives. Honestly, there is little doubt that FB and Google, along with some other major conglomerate and technology companies, that they have become too powerful and should be broken up.
There are many different definitions of power, but the likes of FB and Google have nearly captured all them. The first sense of power is in their ability to influence our thinking and beliefs. We are exposed to different news articles and information on FB, and our access to the Internet and the outside world is controlled by the algorithms of the Google Search Engine. The recommendations made by both companies directly affects and influences how we look at the world. This is simply too powerful, especially without the necessary legislation in place as can be seen from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. One could argue that the human being, as a conscious individual, is able to make decisions independently. However, these decisions are often made on existing information and are altered by the information that we have access to. Therefore, FB and Google are able to directly control the types of information that we see and hear everyday such that they can directly influence our own perceptions. In this sense, the notion of free-will disappears as it becomes directly mediated by the algorithms and design of the technology companies.
The second dominance of power is in its business component. The immense size of the technology companies has created somewhat of a monopoly in each sector. They can directly engage in anti-competitive practices to immediately and rapidly remove those that threaten their own customers. The problem with this sense of power is that it ultimately limits innovation and development. Companies are simply bought out by the larger technology companies and become a part of the same system. There is a greater sense of homogeneity and lack of innovation because they now operate under the same flag and corporate culture. Therefore, they should be broken up in order to encourage more startups and other companies with an opportunity to flourish. At this point, each of the companies can easily purchase others in order to engage in prolonged prevention of foreign entries that can threaten them.
The sentiment is not just shared by me, but that many others are starting to see the problems and implications of the technology companies becoming the next monopoly and dominating and controlling our everyday lives < https://medium.com/new-york-times-opinion/its-time-to-break-up-facebook-8b6ae2cb3d9d??> What needs to occur is either a break up of the larger technology companies into smaller components, or rapidly creating legislations that prevents the anti-competitive practices and keep these companies in check.
