alternatehistory.com

The 2020 Epilogue: Cutting Down Big Tech

"Big Tech" was one of the most prominent influences in businesses, politics and cultures. While starting out with the rise of computer technologies and hardware, it would grow to encompass software and even interner-based companies in social media, information gathering and redistributing and even video games in some definitions. While it has enjoyed great growth throughout the last few decades, many have come to begin seeing them as potential troublemakers that may need to be dealt with or at the very least, the unscrupulous individuals who run and manage the upper echelons of these companies. It has been nearly 20 years since Microsoft would be forced to split into two companies. One that handled various software such as NetEx browser and MSOffice (formerly Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office respectably) and the other hardware, the Windows OS and later on, Xbox and game-related matters, such as SEGA. As such, many would come to see that such decisions may be needed to applied once more to deal with new technologi, especially with the young generation becoming more prominent in the workforce with a different new Internet and rules.

Many people trace this modern galvanization of legislation dealing with potential "Big Tech" monopolies with the scandal over Facebook and their illict affairs with Cambridge Analytica over sharing user information and it would explode into various questions on freedom, security, permissions and so on. The ideas centered mainly though on securing the rights and freedoms of how the users' data could be shared regarding permission as well as potential monopolies or oligopolies and even certain matters on free speech. As such, the Sanders Administration welcomed the feedback of experts and of various concerns citizens, encouraging other nations and groups like the European Union to do the same, balancing the needs of clamping down on such forces along with maintaining the voice of the people.

Legislation was promoted for consumer rights over the selling of data though it was also on discouraging the practices and aknowledging the possibility of declaring certain social media sites as "public spaces", with the idea of "public" and "private" webspaces being floated around regarding social media. As such, it would lead to First Amendment protections, and many note it would make sense given Section 230, thus protecting the sites from liability. At the same time, there was the concern of hate speech, inflammatory speech and so on, along with the responsability of reporting hostile, threatening or provactive behavior. And of course, the potential distinction between "public" and private" social media spaces (though one report noted some possibilities being size ranges and usage among the list/ ) This part of a broarder move toward the potential implementation of "platform utilities". Of course, this was not as big a concern, namely since while some social media pages are promoted more over others (Myspace and Facebook remaining the big names), they are not an oligopoly nor pushing others out. However, Facebook does remain in risk as many are expecting to see the reversals of mergers and purchases such as WhatsApp and Instagram along with other compensations. As such, some were switching to others, such as the resurrection of Friendster or the rise of Mastodon.

However, there were larger targets, predominantly Google, Apple and Amazon. Amazon was very notable, given its history of dodging large taxes and growing ever larger. The conflict really began when the Sanders Administration blocked Amazon from the purchase of Whole Foods. As such, while they were geared up for conflict against the Sanders' Administration, it would not be enough for them and the treatment of their workers during the COVID-2020 epidemic provided a good starting point to deal with them with anti-trust laws though some have speculated Amazon may try and do so itself to maintain favorable advantages to do so. Despite this, it was clearly that Amazon would no longer be the top and many were wondering what they were going to lose. Some even speculated Bezos may try and cheat the system, resulting in potential arrests if he did. According to some, the biggest loses would come from some of the international companies Amazon acquired with one rumor saying Amazon may spin off their books and audio books section while another rumor believed that the video service of Amazon Prime might be spun off to something else as well

Meanwhile, Google has to deal with its own problems on two fronts. One is the undoing of certain mergers, most likely Waze, Nest, and DoubleClick to restore some comepetition. At the same time, Google alongside Apple are dealing with struggles over against Riot Games over transactions within games and the potential of monopolies regarding the various Appstores within the software. As such, the upcoming court cases would seem like it would side over with Riot and against Google and Apple. Furthermore, other potentials could've been planned and currently being examined. This is not counting the growing cases over in Europe at them for similar practices. The influential reign of Big Technology was entering an area of decline and twilight, at least when it came to upper echelons; the common people were using it more than ever in creative and expressive ways, especially as the COVID-20 Pandemic provided it as a refuge of sorts.