A reckoning is coming Silicon Valley’s way, but are the world’s tech leaders ready for it?
Frances Haugen’s recent tell-all on Facebook’s operations sparked a huge crisis for big tech companies. The former manager showed files that revealed that Facebook was aware of the extent of harm it had on teenagers, especially girls, on Instagram.
This issue may seem shocking to outsiders, but it’s hardly surprising to those who know their way around the tech industry. Some even believe that Facebook and the rest of Big Tech have seen it coming.
Because of the leak, a new push to control and enforce stricter laws on big tech companies is afoot. However, it’s not that simple. For one, it seems that Big Tech is making moves similar to what the tobacco industry did in the 90s. In fact, the event has made public figures accuse big tech companies of copying Big Tobacco.
Smoke in Big Tech
The title of Big Tech monopoly belongs to Facebook. As one of the world’s leading social media platforms, it controls not only the content we see but also our data. And in this day and age, they can be powerful enough to sway democracies.
In 2018, Facebook was accused of not protecting private user data from London-based consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. Ultimately, the firm used user data to influence the outcome of the campaigns of Donald Trump, the Brexit vote, and the success of other world leaders.
The charges called into attention the extent of Facebook’s tolerance for data mining and questioned its policies on the misuse of private user data. Today, Haugen’s voice drives home the danger of Facebook and the legitimacy of Big Tech data privacy.
Is Big Tech the bad guy?
Haugen is not the first person to speak up about the discrimination and ethical concerns in Big Tech. In the past, many have tried speaking up about harassment at work. Because of this, Big Tech trust ratings have been down for years. Sexual allegations and cases of race discrimination do not help. But most importantly, tech companies are being compared to tobacco sellers because of their sneaky and underhanded tactics.
When it comes to histories of court battles alleging harmful products or services to the general public, Big Tobacco is a forerunner. This term refers to the companies which own and sell harmful cigarettes. Over the past decades, charges claim that these firms were aware of the harm their products caused but misled the public of its health effects through ads and publicity ploys.
Facebook is aware that its platform breeds misinformation and can even cause some users to lean towards violence. However, they do close to nothing to prevent such events from happening. In addition, both industries also use the addictive feature of their products to reel in more and more consumers.
So, what’s next?
More and more officials are pushing back on the influence of Big Tech. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed into law the Silenced No More Act. A key feature of this law is that workers can speak out regardless of race or gender even under an NDA.
But while Big Tobacco may be easy to regulate (we do not really need nicotine), social media platforms are another animal. It is very hard to live without social media, especially in the context of the pandemic. Fines and other small policy changes will not create big change for these companies.
Big Tech may be innovating our lives, but at what cost? A moment of truth like this for Facebook can mean a safer space for us all.
