Twitter and other companies decided to ban Donald Trump in light of the Capitol riots. In that same vein, Amazon, Apple and Google decided to remove Parler from their services. While some people agreed with Big Tech’s decision in this case, others saw this as the gateway to more censorship. Should Big Tech be able to make these decisions? Should the government get involved? Millennial Minute host David Grasso spoke with political strategist Ajay Bruno and tech expert and managing partner of Starship Capital John Meyer.
Is it time to break-up?
In 1998, the Department of Justice filed antitrust charges against Microsoft in the fear of them becoming a monopoly. Microsoft lost the case and as a result, they agreed to share computing interfaces with other businesses. This act is considered to spark the birth of Apple, Google and other tech companies. If Big Tech were to break up, Meyer says it’s “very clear” we’d see more invention because America is “built upon startups and small businesses.”
Meyer thinks we’ll see more government intervention with the current Biden administration. He points out that the government has gotten involved in small ways. Recently, the Federal Trades Commission sued Facebook for illegal monopolization, alleging that Facebook wiped out WhatsApp and Instagram as competition by acquiring them.
Big Tech isn’t what it used to be
The removal of Parler was an eye-opener for many people, especially conservatives. Bruno argues that conservatives are being targeted by Big Tech. As someone who isn’t for government intervention, Bruno notices these companies are “acting in unison.” He sees that as a red flag because Big Tech has the power to remove anything they disagree with.
Bruno wants tech to stay innovative and apolitical. He brings up national security concerns of tech companies spying and collecting user data. “It’s not like it used to be. It used to be something which benefited us more than hindered us.”
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